Clinical and analytical performance of the PapilloCheck HPV-Screening assay using the VALGENT framework

Abstract

Background: The benefit of HPV testing for cervical cancer screening and disease management has been shown in many recent studies and is part of several new evidence-based guidelines. Assessment of emerging HPV tests in this context is essential, using well-annotated samples, such as those generated via the Validation of Genotyping Tests-HPV (VALGENT) framework.

Objective: Our aim was to assess the PapilloCheck HPV assay in terms of absolute and relative accuracy for primary cervical cancer screening, using a standard comparator test (GP5+/6+EIA)already validated in randomised trials.

Study design: Type-specific HPV prevalence was stratified by age and cytology grade and compared with the luminex typing assay incorporating a GP5+6+ PCR (GP5+/6+ LMNX Assay). Clinical outcomes were compared with GP5+/6+EIA.

Results: Prevalence of hrHPV types (high-risk HPV) increased with severity of cytology. The concordance between PapilloCheck and the GP5+/6+ LMNX Assay was excellent when assessed at the qualitative hrHPV presence/absence level also at the type-specific level in the whole population and in women over 30 years of age. Absolute clinical sensitivity and specificity of the PapilloCheck was high and ranged between 95.5% and 98.2% for sensitivity and between 82.7% and 91.6% for specificity, depending on the outcome and population.

Conclusion: The sensitivity and specificity of this assay for the outcomes of CIN2+ were similar to those of the standard comparator assay, GP5+/6+ EIA.

Keywords: Cervical cancer screening; Diagnostic test accuracy; Human papillomavirus; Validation of tests.