Br J Cancer · 2025;132(11) · Triage Study · China

DNA Methylation Triage in Non-16/18 hrHPV-Positive Women

非 16/18 hrHPV 阳性女性的 DNA 甲基化分诊作用
1,307 non-16/18 hrHPV+ women · CISCER: CIN3+ risk 39.1% (+) vs 0.9% (−) · referral 17.4% vs LBC 61.9%
Su H, Jin X, Kong L, You Y, Wu H, Liou Y, Li L (correspondence)
Peking Union Medical College Hospital · doi: 10.1038/s41416-025-03005-5
CISCER(+) · CIN3+ risk
39.1%
highest single-strategy risk
CISCER(−) · CIN3+ risk
0.9%
safest to follow up
LBC ≥ASCUS · CIN3+ risk
9.8%
cytology triage
HPV33/35(+) · CIN3+ risk
19.3%
genotyping triage

1Background & Objective

  • Context: non-16/18 hrHPV+ is the largest hrHPV group in China — risk stratification is a key need.
  • Compare: LBC vs hrHPV genotyping vs CISCER (PAX1/JAM3) for absolute-risk triage.

2Study Design & Cohort

1,307
non-16/18 hrHPV+
643
with histology
40y
median age
  • Histology: normal/inflamm. 406 · CIN1 124 · CIN2 64 · CIN3 40 · cancer 9.
  • Assays: LBC + hrHPV genotyping + CISCER (qPCR).
  • Endpoint: absolute CIN2+/CIN3+ risk & referral rate.

3Methylation & Positivity by Grade

PAX1/JAM3 methylation and positivity by pathology
Fig. 2 ΔCt differs across grades; CISCER+ 3.4% → 100% (normal → cancer).
3.4%
CISCER+ · normal
65.6%
CIN2
87.5%
CIN3
100%
cancer
Methylation positivity mirrors severity — a continuous risk signal.

4ROC & Risk Stratification

ROC curves for CIN2+ and CIN3+
Fig. 3 ROC — CISCER vs LBC vs HPV33/35 for CIN2+/CIN3+.
Pre- and post-test CIN2+ risk
Fig. 4 Pre/post-test CIN2+ risk — CISCER(+) highest, CISCER(−) lowest.
  • Risk spread: CISCER+ vs − difference 38.4%; LBC 5.7%; HPV33/35 12.8%.
  • Combined: CISCER+ & LBC≥ASCUS → 40.0%; CISCER+ & HPV33/35+ → 50.0%.

5Referral & Efficiency

StrategyReferral %CIN3+ risk
CISCER(+)17.439.1%
LBC ≥ASCUS61.99.8%
HPV33/35(+)8.919.3%
17.4%
CISCER(+)
61.9%
LBC ≥ASCUS
8.9%
HPV33/35(+)
CISCER(+)
39.1%
HPV33/35(+)
19.3%
LBC ≥ASCUS
9.8%
  • 1 / 2.5 referred diagnosed CIN3+ with CISCER(+) — most efficient.
  • Negative safety: CISCER(−) → CIN3+ risk 0.9% — safe follow-up.
  • Combined rule-out: CISCER(−) & NILM → 0.0% CIN3+ risk.
  • Objective: qPCR methylation — reproducible, operator-independent.
CISCER triage avoids ~72% of LBC-based referrals while keeping low risk of missing CIN3+.
Clinical Significance