Presence of proliferating (MiB-1-positive) cells in cervical smears of women infected with HIV is associated with clinical outcome: A study of Brazilian women

The hypothesis tested was that there is an association between the presence of proliferating (MiB-1-positive) cervical cells and clinical outcome of w omen infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Female partners (att ending the Gynecology Outpatients Clinic of rile University Hospital of Rio Grande, Brazil) of known HIV-positive (HIVS) men were used for this pilot study. Among these women, 25 were also HIV+. Papanicolaou smears of these 2 5 HIV+ women and of 44 HIV- women were graded as negative, CIN I, CIN II, o r CIN III, using neural network screening. MiB-1 grading and HPV identifica tion were also performed The immune status of patients was determined using the current Centers for Disease Control classification. In agreement with the scientific literature, in these Brazilian women both CIN and HPV were a ssociated with HIV. In the HIV+ women, the immune status tends to correlate with MiB-1 grading. Also, in the one case in whom progression from CIN I t o invasive cervical carcinoma was observed the smear contained many MiB-1;p ositive cells. Staining cervical smears of HIV+ women is a simple procedure to get nit indication of clinical outcome of the patient. (C) 2001 Wiley-L iss,Inc.