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Stability of archived liquid-based cervical cytologic specimens.
Philip E Castle1, Diane Solomon, Allan Hildesheim
1The National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Rockville, Maryland 20892-7234, USA. castlep@mail.nih.gov
Cancer
|April 22, 2003
Summary
Cervical cell specimens archived for years showed DNA and cell degradation, impacting their use in long-term studies. Further research is needed to improve storage methods for epidemiologic research.
Area of Science:
- Cytopathology
- Molecular Epidemiology
- Biorepository Science
Background:
- Cervical cell specimens in PreservCyt are archived for epidemiologic studies.
- Long-term DNA and cytologic stability of these biospecimens are not well-understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term DNA and cytologic stability of cervical specimens stored in PreservCyt.
- To assess the impact of storage time on molecular markers and cytomorphology.
Main Methods:
- Cervical specimens from a human papillomavirus (HPV) natural history study were stored at ambient temperatures.
- Specimens were tested for HPV DNA, beta-globin DNA fragments (268, 610, 1327 bp), and nuclear preservation.
- Statistical analysis evaluated associations between stability and storage duration.
Main Results:
- HPV DNA detection was unaffected by storage duration.
- Beta-globin DNA stability and nuclear preservation significantly declined with increased storage time.
- After 5 years, 15% of specimens were unamplifiable for beta-globin DNA; after 8 years, 41% of slides were marginal or unsatisfactory.
Conclusions:
- Cervical specimens archived in PreservCyt undergo degradation over several years.
- Optimized long-term storage methods are necessary for cervical cell biospecimens in epidemiologic studies of cervical carcinoma.