The aim of this study was to investigate the detection rate and methods of micrometastases in early-stage cervical cancer by detecting the expression of high-risk HPV DNA and CK19 in pelvic lymph nodes. A total of 104 lymph nodes with/without pathologically confirmed metastases, from 28 patients with early-stage cervical cancer, were included for detection of high-risk HPV DNA and CK19 expression using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The detection rate of high-risk HPV DNA and CK19 in lymph nodes in patients with pathologically-confirmed lymph node metastases was higher compared to that in lymph nodes in patients without pathologically-confirmed lymph node metastases (P<0.001). In all 80 pathologically-negative lymph nodes, the positivity rates of high-risk HPV DNA and CK19 detection were 45 and 25%, respectively. In 57 lymph nodes in patients without pathologically-confirmed lymph node metastases the positivity rates of high-risk HPV DNA and CK19 detection were 43.5 and 24.6%. The detection rate of high-risk HPV DNA and CDK19 in 15 patients without pathologically-confirmed lymph node metastases were 60 and 46.6%, respectively. The detection rates of high-risk HPV DNA and CK19 in 104 lymph nodes were 56.7 and 41.3% (KI=0.46). The results of the two detection methods showed good consistency. Both detection of high-risk HPV DNA by in situ hybridization, and CK19 by immunohistochemical method detected lymph node micrometastases in early-stage cervical cancer. As a method of detection on the molecular level, in situ hybridization was more sensitive for the detection of lymph node micrometastases in early-stage cervical cancer.

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