COMBINED ANALYSIS OF CERVICAL SMEARS - CYTOPATHOLOGY, IMAGE CYTOMETRYAND INSITU HYBRIDIZATION

This study was an attempt to correlate the Bethesda System of Papanico laou smear classification with DNA content by image analysis and the p resence of human papillomavirus (HPV) as determined by in situ hybridi zation. DNA histograms were classified as normal diploid, diploid prol iferative, polyploid and aneuploid. HPV in situ hybridization was perf ormed with a cocktail of probes specific to HPV types 6,11,16 and 18. There was a good correlation between normal cytology and normal DNA hi stograms. Cytologically normal smears with bacterial or fungal infecti ons showed a high proliferation index. HPV infection correlated with D NA polyploidy but was seen in 15 of 29 smears classified as cytologica lly normal. Morphologically abnormal Papanicolaou smears correlated wi th aneuploid DNA content. Smears classified as intraepithelial neoplas ia correlated with aneuploid DNA content in all 12 cases. Four of five cases cytologically suspicious for HPV infection had HPV by in situ h ybridization.