Raman Spectroscopy of Cell-Free Cervicovaginal Lavage for Differentiation of HPV-Associated Cervical Lesions
Elena Rimskaya 1,2, Alexey Gorevoy 1,2, Niso Nazarova 1, Natalia Starodubtseva 1,3, Patimat Abakarova 1, Anna Mgeryan 1, Sergey Kudryashov 1, Vera Prilepskaya 1 and Gennady Sukhikh 1,4;
1 V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, 117997 Moscow, Russia; 2 Lebedev Physical Institute, 119991 Moscow, Russia; 3 Moscow Center for Advanced Studies, 123592 Moscow, Russia; 4 Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatology and Reproductology, Institute of Professional Education, Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
Abstract
High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading etiological factor in cervical cancer, highlighting the need for less invasive and more objective diagnostic tools. This pilot study evaluated Raman spectroscopy of cell-free cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) for distinguishing low-grade from high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL and HSIL) in HPV-positive patients. Raman spectra were acquired at 532 nm from cell-free CVL samples obtained from 20 women with histologically confirmed LSIL (n = 9) or HSIL (n = 11). The processed spectra were examined to identify the main spectral differences between the groups and to determine the Raman intensity ratios most useful for classification. The results were evaluated using repeated five-fold stratified cross-validation to limit potential model overfitting. HSIL samples showed reduced spectral features tentatively associated with glycogen and lactate/lactic acid, together with increased signals associated with heme proteins. The most informative ratios were I(483 cm−1)/I(1004 cm−1), I(750 cm−1)/I(1004 cm−1), and I(1635 cm−1)/I(1004 cm−1). A diagnostic model based on these ratios differentiated LSIL from HSIL with 80% sensitivity and 86% specificity. These findings suggest that Raman spectroscopy of cell-free CVL can detect biochemical differences associated with cervical lesion severity and may serve as a rapid, non-invasive, and objective tool for risk stratification. Further validation in larger prospective multicenter cohorts is required before clinical implementation.
Speaker
Anastasia Devyatkina
V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, 117997 Moscow, Russia
Russia
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