DETECTING STRUCTURAL-CHANGES AT THE MOLECULAR-LEVEL WITH FOURIER-TRANSFORM INFRARED-SPECTROSCOPY - A POTENTIAL TOOL FOR PRESCREENING PREINVASIVE LESIONS OF THE CERVIX

OBJECTIVE: To study cervical exfoliated cells with Fourier transform i nfrared spectroscopy (FTIR). STUDY DESIGN: Consecutive samples from 13 3 women attending the Dysplasia Clinic, Ottawa Civic Hospital, were co llected in balanced electrolyte solution. After centrifugation, two sm ears were prepared for routine screening. The remainder of the pellet was frozen for FTIR spectroscopic study. RESULTS: In 120 samples, adeq uate material was available for spectroscopic study. All smears from 1 7 women with normal spectra weve within normal limits (WNL). One hundr ed three spectra were abnormal. The corresponding smears were interpre ted as: 41 low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, 20 high grade s quamous intraepithelial lesions, 6 atypical squamous cells of undeterm ined significance, 17 cases with benign cellular changes, and 19 WNL. Ten of 17 cases with benign cellular changes had characteristic spectr a consistent with inflammatory changes. CONCLUSION: FTIR spectroscopy is a highly sensitive technique for detecting cervical abnormalities a nd a potential tool for prescreening preinvasive lesions of the cervix .