Comparison of Xpert® HPV and Hybrid Capture® 2 DNA Test™ for detection of high-risk HPV infection in cervical atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance

SummaryThis study compares Xpert® HPV and Hybrid Capture® 2 High-Risk HPV DNA Test™ (hc2) for the detection of high-risk HPV infection in cervical smears. Papanicolaou smears with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) constituted the study specimens. Of the 168 ASC-US samples, 134 (79.8%) were from Saudi patients. The hc2 test was positive in 33 (19.6%) of the total patients, 20% among Saudi patients, and 17.6% among non-Saudi patients. Xpert® HPV produced positive results in 30 (17.8%) of the samples. The overall concordance rate between the two tests was 98.2%, and the positive concordance rate was 91%. There were three samples tested positive by hc2 that tested negative by Xpert® HPV. HPV 16, HPV 18/45 and HPV other types were the most common types. Both tests have a reasonable positive concordance rate, although hc2 detected more cases than Xpert® HPV. Xpert® HPV provides a viable alternative to the hc2 test with similar detection results for samples with ASC-US.