Background: High-Risk Human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) has been well established as the cervical cancer (CC) risk factor. In recent years, various diagnostic methods of human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been developed to promote sensitivity and specificity of CC screening which leads to a low mortality rate. This study aimed to compare diagnostic test metrics of two HPV diagnostic techniques, including Western blot and INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping Extra II assay methods in asymptomatic or subclinical patients, among the South-Eastern Iranian women.

Methods: 323 women were referred to the Pathology and Stem Cell Research Center, from February 2018 to January 2020. HPV-DNA with the INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping Extra-II Assay kit and the western blot assays for HPV E7 and E6 assessment were employed.

Results: Overall, 163 (50.4%) samples were dysplastic pap smear, the specificity of the HPV DNA test by INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping Extra-II Assay test was significantly higher than the E7/E6 oncoproteins finding (67.3 vs. 49.9%), and the sensitivity was lower (96.6 vs. 74.8%), respectively.

Conclusions: HR-HPV E7/E6 oncoproteins expression was evaluated as a possible novel biomarker for CC screening in pap smear as the preliminary test with satisfactory diagnostic values for HR-HPV types 16 and 18. The corresponding diagnostic values may be further improved by combining HPV DNA tests with the INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping Extra-II test. Also, they may prove helpful for HR-HPV infection diagnosis in cases that the patients are asymptomatic or subclinical.

Keywords: Cervical Cancer; Human Papillomavirus (HPV); Diagnostic Screening Programs; Oncogene Proteins