Patent ID: 7422859

Claim:
A method for discriminating p16 INK4a overexpressing metaplasias from p16 INK4a overexpressing neoplastic or dysplastic lesions in a uterine cervix sample in the course of cytological testing procedures comprising: a. determining the presence or absence of cells overexpression of p16 INK4a in said sample; b. determining the presence or absence of cells expressing at least one high risk HPV gene-product in said sample, wherein the high risk HPV gene-product is a polypeptide; and c. assessing simultaneous presence of cells expressing the high risk HPV gene-product and cells overexpressing p16 INK4a , or the presence of cells overexpressing p16 INK4a alone; d. characterizing the simultaneous presence of cells expressing the high risk HPV gene-product and cells overexpressing p16 INK4a as indicative of neoplastic or dysplastic lesion, and e. characterizing the presence of cells overexpressing p16 INK4a alone as indicative of metaplasias.