Xiao Huo,1,* Hengzi Sun,2,3,* Dongyan Cao,3 Jiaxin Yang,3 Peng Peng,3 Linghua Kong,3 Fei Chen,3 Keng Shen,3 Shuhong Li2 1Center of Basic Medical Research, Peking University Third Hospital Institute of Medical Innovation and Research, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Shuhong LiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8 GongTiNan Road, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-10-8523 1831Email 1544563468@qq.comKeng ShenDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail shenkengpumc@163.comBackground: Colposcopy was referred in cases with severe abnormalities in co-testing. Although p16/Ki67 dual staining reduced the referral rate, its sensitivity and specificity need to be enhanced.Methods: The expressions of p16, Ki-67, SMAD3, YAP1, RELA were evaluated in the colposcopy referral population. The inclusion criteria included 30– 60 years and diagnosed with HPV16/18-positive, other HR-HPV-positive with ASCUS, LSIL, AGC (atypical glandular cell) in co-testing. Colposcopies, endocervical curettages of cervical biopsies were also collected. Cases were excluded if there were no biopsies, if the interval between a cervical screening test and biopsies was more than 6 months, or if insufficient tissue was available as a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded block. The pathology was independently reviewed by two pathologists. Discrepant interpretations were adjudicated by a third pathologist.Results: In total, 1194 of 1273 cases who were referred to colposcopy were evaluated in the present study. The sensitivity and specificity of p16+ combined with Ki-67+ for predicting CIN2+ were 62.1% and 89.5%, respectively. p16+ combined with YAP1+ and/or RELA+ provided a sensitivity and specificity of 70.9% and 89.5%, respectively, while 72.8% and 86.4% were achieved by p16+ combined with YAP1+ and/or SMAD3+ and/or RELA+. In HPV16/18+ and LSIL subgroups, the sensitivity and specificity of p16+ combined with Ki-67+ for predicting CIN2+ were 67.7% and 87.6%, respectively, for the former group and 58.6%, 88.8%, respectively, for the latter group. p16+, YAP1+/RELA+ showed a better performance for predicting CIN2+ with a better sensitivity and considerable specificity in the other HPV+ combined with ASCUS group than were achieved by p16+ combined with Ki-67+. RELA+ and the combination of p16 and RELA/YAP1 also provided the Max AUC area.Conclusion: Our study shows that RELA and the combination of p16 and RELA/YAP1 achieved better sensitivity and specificity for detecting morphologically CIN2+ lesions.Keywords: cervical precancer, immunocytochemical strategy, morphological marker, colposcopy triage