Characterization of p16 and E6 HPV-related proteins in uterine cervix high-grade lesions of patients treated by conization with large loop excision

Cervical cancer and its precursor lesions represent a significant public health problem for developing and less-developed countries. Cervical carcinogenesis is strongly correlated with persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which is mostly associated with expression of the p16 and E6 HPV-related proteins. The aim of this present study was to determine the expression of the p16 and E6 proteins in females with high-grade lesions treated with conization, and to discuss the role of these proteins as prognostic markers following treatment. In total, 114 females were treated for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN, grades 2/3) by conization with large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ). Following surgery, the patients returned within 30–45 days for post-operative evaluation. A follow-up was conducted every 6 months for 2 years. At each follow-up appointment, a Pap smear, colposcopy and HPV DNA test were performed. E6 and p16 immunohistochemical tests were conducted on the surgical specimens. The positive expression of p16 was correlated with the presence of lesions with increased severity in the surgical specimens (P= 0.0001). The expression of E6 did not demonstrate the same correlation (P=0.131). The HPV DNA hybrid, collected in the first post-operative consultation as a predictor of the cytological abnormalities identified at the 24-month follow-up assessment, presented a sensitivity of 55.6%, a specificity of 84.8%, a positive predictive value of 33.3% and a negative predictive value of 93.3%. The role of p16INK4A as a marker of CIN was also demonstrated; the expression of p16 and E6, however, did not appear to be of any prognostic value in predicting the clearance of high-risk HPV following conization. A negative hybrid capture test was correlated with a disease-free outcome.