{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T14:00:06Z","timestamp":1765807206520,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765756800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Roche Diagnostics Hellas"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cycle threshold (Ct) values of self-collected vaginal samples as a triage method to colposcopy for high-risk (hr) HPV-positive women. Methods: We analyzed data from GRECOSELF, a nationwide observational cross-sectional study on HPV primary cervical cancer screening in Greece. Self-collected vaginal samples were tested with the cobas\u00ae HPV test (Roche\u00ae Molecular Systems, Pleasanton, CA, USA). The Ct value, i.e., the number of cycles needed until DNA amplification occurs exponentially in a PCR, reflects the viral load, and it was evaluated as a triage method to colposcopy for hrHPV-positive women. Results: For CIN2 and more advanced lesions, the Ct value, as a dichotomous variable at a cut-off of 29.7, had 54.8% (95%CI: 38.7\u201370.2) sensitivity, 35.4% (23.9\u201348.2) Positive Predictive Value (PPV), 74.2% (66.8\u201380.8) specificity, and 86.4% (73.6\u201391.6) Negative Predictive Value (NPV) for HPV16\/18, while for other hrHPV types, sensitivity was 26.7% (12.3\u201345.9), PPV 6.7% (2.9\u201312.8), specificity 78.8% (75.1\u201382.2), and NPV 95.0% (92.5\u201396.8). For CIN3 and more advanced lesions, the NPV for non-HPV16\/18 was 97.9 (96.1\u201399.1). Conclusions: For self-collected vaginal samples of hrHPV-positive women, the Ct value may be used as a triage method to colposcopy. As Ct values inversely reflect the viral loads, they are lower in high-grade CIN and\/or carcinoma.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics15243205","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T13:32:37Z","timestamp":1765805557000},"page":"3205","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Evaluation of Cycle Threshold (Ct) Values for Detecting High-Risk HPV in Self-Collected Vaginal Samples as a Triage Method to Colposcopy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5357-4708","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kimon","family":"Chatzistamatiou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Menelaos","family":"Zafrakas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece"},{"name":"School of Health Science, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Glykeria","family":"Gkoliou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Electra","family":"Sofou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Konstantinos","family":"Pasentsis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8496-3087","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Georgios","family":"Karakatsoulis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Theodoros","family":"Agorastos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kostas","family":"Stamatopoulos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"229","article-title":"Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries","volume":"74","author":"Bray","year":"2024","journal-title":"CA Cancer J. 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