Comparative performance of hrHPV testing and PAX1/ZNF671 methylation in triaging women with abnormal cytology: a study of paired urine, vaginal and cervical scrape samples

This literature review found that DNA methylation markers on self-collected urine or cervicovaginal swabs detected cervical intraepithelial neoplasia as well as cytology. The combination could improve screening uptake and reduce loss to follow-up, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, though more evidence is needed to identify the most efficacious methylation tests.

The current state of DNA methylation biomarkers in self-collected liquid biopsies for the early detection of cervical cancer: a literature review — Sumiec et al., Infectious agents and cancer · source ↗

• urine
• self-collection
• validation
• hpv
• sti
• biomarkers
• liquid-biopsy

This meta-analysis found that HPV testing using self-collected vaginal and urine samples showed sensitivities of 88.6% and 81% for detecting cervical precancer. Using a standardised device for first-void urine increased sensitivity to 86.6%, supporting decentralised patient-centric screening, though data on specificity and specific commercial devices were not consistently reported.

Diagnostic Performance of HPV Testing Using Self-Collected Urine and Vaginal Samples for Detecting Cervical Precancer or Worse: A Meta-Analysis — Hsiao et al., The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research (paywalled) · source ↗

• urine
• first-void
• self-collection
• validation
• hpv
• sti

DNA methylation markers in first-void urine effectively detect high-grade cervical lesions in HPV-positive women, with results similar to clinician-collected samples in those over 30. This enables reliable cervical cancer screening using self-collected urine, reducing the need for invasive follow-up procedures in decentralised settings.

Evaluating DNA methylation markers and extended HPV genotyping in first-void urine for detecting high-grade cervical lesions in HPV-positive women: a cross-sectional study — Tranberg et al., BMC medicine · source ↗

• colli-pee
• first-void
• self-collection
• hpv
• urine
• biomarkers
• genotyping

A study of 2500 women found 99.0% agreement between first-void urine and vaginal self-sampling for HPV detection using Cobas4800, with 98.1% of participants preferring urine. Although conducted in a resource-limited setting which may limit generalisability, these results support urine as a viable sample type for decentralised, patient-centric screening.

Comparative efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of HPV DNA testing on first-void urine versus self-collected vaginal samples: a real-world study in a resource-limited setting — Bose et al., BMJ global health · source ↗

• urine
• first-void
• self-collection
• acceptability
• hpv
• sti

This study found that self-collected vaginal swabs and first-void urine yielded comparable detection rates for vaccine-targeted high-risk HPV types, supporting the use of both patient-centric methods for decentralised surveillance. Vaginal swabs showed higher sensitivity for non-vaccine types, whereas urine sampling offers a non-invasive alternative.

Comparison of self-collected vaginal swabs and first-void urine for detection of human papillomavirus in sexually active girls and women in three South Asian countries — Telele et al., PloS one · source ↗

• urine
• first-void
• self-collection
• hpv
• sti