FOURIER-TRANSFORM INFRARED-SPECTROSCOPY OF DYSPLASTIC, PAPILLOMAVIRUS-POSITIVE CERVICOVAGINAL LAVAGE SPECIMENS

To assess the utility of a new, rapid, economical procedure that may p rove valuable in cervical screening. Fourier transform infrared (ir) s pectroscopy was performed on 25 cervicovaginal lavage specimens from w omen referred for colposcopy on the basis of a cytological abnormality detected on their Pap smear and whose lavage specimen was positive fo r human papillomavirus. Of the 18 classed as CIN I or less by histopat hology, 11 showed band frequencies that deviated only slightly from sp ectra that characterize normal cervical cells and 3 of 5 ''atypia'' sp ecimens had spectra identical to normal. Two of 3 classed as CIN II ha d spectra only slightly more abnormal to these 11. In the case of 2 gr aded as CIN I, several bands were similarly altered in the direction o f the pattern seen for 4 CIN III specimens. A further CIN I sample gav e a spectrum that was even further shifted toward the latter and the r emaining CIN I sample had a pattern that matched the 4 CIN IIIs. The m ost obvious change in each of the CIN IIIs was an additional peak at 9 72 cm(-1) and this has been suggested as a key indicator for malignanc y. One of the 3 CIN IIs had this peak. Other characteristic spectral c hanges were seen as well in the CIN III samples. High-risk HPV18 was p resent in 3 of the CIN III samples, as well as in one specimen classed as atypia, but having an abnormal ir spectrum. Low-risk HPV 6 or 11 w as seen along in samples with a normal or slightly abnormal ir spectru m, but never in those that showed an ir pattern that was abnormal. The current study has therefore shown complete concordance between ir spe ctral findings and histopathology result in the case of CIN III specim ens, but less precise matching for other grades of CIN. The spectral d ifferences revealed by ir spectroscopy are likely to characterize mole cular abnormalities in cervical cells during progression to cancer and may therefore have potential in assisting with clinical decision maki ng. More studies will, however, be required to establish the place of this technique in cervical screening. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.