Procedure for discrimination between metaplasia and neoplastic or pre-neoplastic lesions.

A method for discriminating p16INK4a overexpressing metaplasias preneoplastic or neoplastic p16INK4a overexpressing in biological samples in the course of cytological testing procedures comprising a. determining the presence or absence of cells overexpressing p16INK4a in said biological samples; b. determining the presence or absence of cells expressing a gene product of HPV L1 high risk in said biological samples; c. assessing simultaneous presence of cells expressing gene products HPV L1 high risk p16INK4a overexpressing cells, or the presence of cells overexpressing p16INK4a alone that; d. wherein the simultaneous presence of cells expressing HPV L1 gene-products of high risk p16INK4a overexpressing cells is indicative of neoplastic or preneoplastic lesions.