HPV Proteins Detected in Potential Cervical Cancer Patients' Urine

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)--A team of researchers from Japan's Waseda University and others has said that it detected human papillomavirus, or HPV, proteins from the urine of patients likely to develop cervical cancer.

The proteins are present in only a minuscule amount in patients' urine, making it difficult to detect them. The team highlighted the possibility of using urine for early detection of cervical cancer.

A specific type of protein in HPV acts as a substance that triggers cervical cancer. The team including Waseda professor Etsuro Ito developed a measurement method that detects this protein type with high sensitivity.

The method successfully detected the proteins from the HPV type 16, which has a high risk of causing cancer, at about 100 times higher sensitivity than commercially available test kits.

The group examined the urine of 45 patients who visited Kanazawa Medical University Hospital between 2019 and 2021 and were diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, which may develop into cervical cancer.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]