Cervical Cytology Findings in Renal Transplant Patients and Comparison of These Findings with Normal Population

Abstract

Long-term immunosuppressive therapy increases the likelihood of renal transplant patients developing cervical cancer. We aimed to analyze the results of cervical cytology in renal transplant patients, compare these findings to those of the normal population, and determine the risk factors linked to the development of squamous intraepithelial lesions. Our analysis involved a retrospective study of hospital records from January 2000 to April 2018, encompassing 140 female renal transplant patients. A control group of 280 women with normal health status was selected and matched based on age and the cervical cytology procedure. The cervical cytology findings of the patients were re-evaluated using the Bethesda 2014 criteria. Of the total of 420 patients, 37 patients had epithelial cell abnormalities; including 32 (86.5%) patients in the renal transplant group and 5 (13.5%) control group (p ≤ 0.001). Sixty-two patients had infections; including 44 (71%) patients in the renal transplant group and 18 (29%) control group (p ≤ 0.001). We revealed that the development of squamous intraepithelial lesions was associated with factors such as having an immunologic disease as the primary renal disease, undergoing re-transplantation, and the presence of acute rejection (p ≤ 0.05). Cervical cytology screening plays a crucial role in detecting preinvasive lesions. The incidence of epithelial cell abnormalities is significantly higher in renal transplant patients compared to the normal population. Regular cervical cytology follow-up is vital for the early detection and prevention of cervical cancer progression in transplant recipients.