Search for Markers in HPV-Associated Cervical Lesions Using the Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Authors:   V.I. Kulakov National Medical Scientific Centre of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatal Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation, Attoeva D.I. , Starodubtseva N.L. ,   V.I. Kulakov National Medical Scientific Centre of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatal Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation,   V.L. Talrose Institute for Energy Problems of Chemical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation, Nazarova N.M. ,   V.I. Kulakov National Medical Scientific Centre of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatal Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation, Tokareva A.O. ,   V.I. Kulakov National Medical Scientific Centre of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatal Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation,   V.L. Talrose Institute for Energy Problems of Chemical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation, Chagovets V.V. ,   V.I. Kulakov National Medical Scientific Centre of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatal Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation, Kukaev E.N. ,   V.I. Kulakov National Medical Scientific Centre of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatal Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation,   V.L. Talrose Institute for Energy Problems of Chemical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation, Frankevich V.E. ,   V.I. Kulakov National Medical Scientific Centre of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatal Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation, Sukhikh G.T. ,   V.I. Kulakov National Medical Scientific Centre of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatal Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation
Published: November 2021

Study Objective: To study the lipid composition of cervical epithelium in HPV-associated lesions in order to search for markers for early noninvasive diagnosis of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) of the cervix. Study Design: cross-sectional prospective cohort study. Materials and Methods. The study included 124 patients aged 21 to 45 years old. For scraping of the epithelium in the cervix and cervical canal, a cervical brush was used. The lipidic extract from a scraping sample was analysed with the use of chromatography-mass spectrometry (positive and negative ions). Possible markers were searched for with the help of the Mann-Whitney test and analysis of views for hidden structures; logistic regression variables were selected based on the Akaike information criterion. The models were tested with cross validation of a separate item. Study Results. We have identified lipids belonging to cholesterol esters, phosphatidylcholines, ceramides and sphingomyelins, which allow differentiating between normal conditions, cervicitis, high- and low-grade SIL, and cervical cancer. The model accuracy for positive and negative ion modes was 70% and 71%, respectively. The final model accuracy was 79% and demonstrated high predicative value for cervicitis and cervical cancer and moderate predicative value for low-grade SIL vs. norm. Conclusion. The potential for non-invasive cervical SIL differentiation using lipid markers has been demonstrated. Keywords: neoplastic lesions, cervical cancer, lipids, diagnosis.