Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
08:10
Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Human Endocervical Gamma Delta T Cells
Published on: February 6, 2017
The ATHENA human papillomavirus study: design, methods, and baseline results
Thomas C Wright1, Mark H Stoler, Catherine M Behrens
1Department of Pathology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
|September 28, 2011
Summary
This study on cervical cancer screening found that abnormal cytology and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity decrease with age. Prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or greater was higher in younger women.
Area of Science:
- Gynecology
- Oncology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cervical cancer screening is crucial for early detection and prevention.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is a key component of modern screening strategies.
- Understanding baseline data in diverse populations is essential for optimizing screening protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present baseline data from the prospective, multicenter US cervical cancer screening trial, 'Addressing the Need for Advanced HPV Diagnostics'.
- To estimate the prevalence of cytologic abnormalities and HPV positivity in a large US screening cohort.
- To assess the prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or greater (CIN2+) across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Enrolled 47,208 women aged 21+ undergoing routine screening.
- Utilized liquid-based cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing.
- Applied verification bias adjustment and bootstrap methods for confidence intervals.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of cytologic abnormalities was 7.1%.
- High-risk HPV (hrHPV) detected in 12.6% of women; HPV 16 in 2.8%, HPV 18 in 1.0%.
- Prevalence of CIN2+ was 2.3% in women aged 25-34, decreasing to 1.5% in older women; both abnormalities and hrHPV positivity declined with age.
Conclusions:
- The study provides critical baseline estimates for cytologic abnormalities, hrHPV positivity, and CIN2+ in a US screening population.
- Findings highlight age-related trends in cervical cancer biomarkers.
- Data supports the ongoing evaluation and refinement of HPV-based cervical cancer screening.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Study Designs in Epidemiology
Epidemiological study designs are fundamental tools for investigating the distribution, determinants, and control of health conditions in populations. They help researchers understand the relationships between exposures and outcomes, and they broadly fall into two categories: "observational" and "experimental" studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.
01:26Human Virome
The human body harbors a vast and diverse viral community known as the human virome. The virome includes bacteriophages that infect bacteria, and eukaryotic viruses that infect human cells. Transient dietary and environmental viruses also contribute to this dynamic ecosystem. Estimates suggest the human body may contain on the order of 10¹³ viral particles, though abundance varies widely by body site and detection method.Comprehensive characterization of the virome has become possible only with...