LabMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News Expo Clinical Chem. Molecular Diagnostics Hematology Immunology Microbiology Pathology Technology Industry Focus

Liquid-Based Cytology Is as Effective as Conventional Smears

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 08 Nov 2010
Print article
Cervical cytology specimens are used to check abnormalities and are regularly used as a prophylactic test in gynecological examinations.

The routine Papanicolau (Pap) test has been compared to liquid based cytology to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of systems based on cytocentrifugation. The sensitivity and specificity of the liquid-based gynecological system was assessed.

In a study carried out at Vilnius University, (Vilnius, Lithuania), 2,945 women referred to prophylactic check-up were enrolled. Split sample design was used in 1,500 women and residual cervical cytology specimen from all these cases was placed in fluid for cytocentrifugation preparation after performing conventional smears. The centrifugation was performed in a low speed centrifugal force device called the Shandon PapSpin. The direct-to-vial study was carried out in another cohort of 1,445 women in whom the entire cervical material was investigated using only the PapSpin technique.

In the split sample group, conventional smears showed a higher proportion of atypical cells undetermined significance (ASC-US): 2.1% compared to 0.7% in the PapSpin samples. A higher proportion of unsatisfactory samples were found in the conventional smear group1.7% compared to 0.4% of cases in the device group. In the split sample group, the sensitivity of the conventional and PapSpin tests was 68.7% versus 78.1%, and the specificity 93.8% versus 91.8%, respectively. In the direct to vial group, PapSpin sensitivity was 75.9% and specificity 96.5%. The Shandon PapSpin is manufactured by Thermo Shandon (Pittsburgh, PA, USA).

The PapSpin method offers several advantages such as the opportunity to prepare duplicate slides, option for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) DNA testing and cell block preparations from residual material. Microscopic evaluation of thinner cell preparations is less time consuming than the conventional Pap smears. The study was published online in March 2010, in Cytology Journal.

Related Links:
Vilnius University
Thermo Shandon


Gold Member
Antipsychotic TDM Assays
Saladax Antipsychotic Assays
Verification Panels for Assay Development & QC
Seroconversion Panels
New
Silver Member
ACTH Assay
ACTH ELISA
New
Troponin I Test
Quidel Triage Troponin I Test

Print article

Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The Mirvie RNA platform predicts pregnancy complications months before they occur using a simple blood test (Photo courtesy of Mirvie)

RNA-Based Blood Test Detects Preeclampsia Risk Months Before Symptoms

Preeclampsia remains a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as preterm births. Despite current guidelines that aim to identify pregnant women at increased risk of preeclampsia using... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The cancer stem cell test can accurately choose more effective treatments (Photo courtesy of University of Cincinnati)

Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The lab-in-tube assay could improve TB diagnoses in rural or resource-limited areas (Photo courtesy of Kenny Lass/Tulane University)

Handheld Device Deliver Low-Cost TB Results in Less Than One Hour

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the deadliest infectious disease globally, affecting an estimated 10 million people annually. In 2021, about 4.2 million TB cases went undiagnosed or unreported, mainly due to... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Schematic illustration of the chip (Photo courtesy of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2025.117401)

Pain-On-A-Chip Microfluidic Device Determines Types of Chronic Pain from Blood Samples

Chronic pain is a widespread condition that remains difficult to manage, and existing clinical methods for its treatment rely largely on self-reporting, which can be subjective and especially problematic... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: The collaboration aims to leverage Oxford Nanopore\'s sequencing platform and Cepheid\'s GeneXpert system to advance the field of sequencing for infectious diseases (Photo courtesy of Cepheid)

Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions

Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Sekisui Diagnostics UK Ltd.