Yang J, et al. – In this population-based study, researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of screening data in women aged 19-65 years (n=2,304) in an ongoing cohort of 40,000 women in China to assess the dose-response association of serum folate with the risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and the potential for human papillomavirus (HPV) to modify the risk of CIN. They evaluated the link by using both categoric and spline analyses. Findings demonstrated an inverse association of serum folate with the risk of higher-grade CIN in Chinese women either with or without high-risk HPV infection. Women with high-risk HPV types who also had the lowest serum folate concentrations were found to be at the highest risk of grade 2 CIN (CIN2+). Overall, results indicated the importance of maintaining normal serum folate levels in order to attenuate the risk of CIN in women.