Low molecular weight cytokeratin proteins in cervical neoplasia

Carcinoma of the cervix uteri: an assessment of the relationship of tumour proliferation to prognosis

The aim of this study was to ascertain whether assessing the growth fraction of cervical carcinoma of 28 patients, using antibody Ki-67, would be of value in clinical practice. The results showed no relationship between growth fraction and age, clinical stage, lymph node involvement or short term (3-5 years) survival.

Immunohistochemical studies on uterine tumors. I. Invasive squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix and their precursors

40 invasive carcinomas and 80 preinvasive lesions of the uterine cervix were studied immunohistochemically; 40 benign lesions served as controls. On histological and immunohistochemical examination, invasive and preinvasive carcinomas were subdivided in the squamous (large cell, ectocervical) type and the reserve cell (small, large or clear cell, endocervical) type. Immunohistochemically, 100% of the invasive and preinvasive squamous cell carcinomas were positive with anticytokeratins 13, 14, 16 and negative with anticytokeratin 8 and anti-CEA. Most of the invasive and preinvasive reserve cell carcinomas showed a coexpression of cytokeratins 13, 14, 16, 8 and CEA. The subdivision of invasive carcinomas of the ecto- and endocervix into squamous cell and reserve cell types made by means of their structural differences is substantiated and re-evaluated by their immunohistochemical reactions. Both types of carcinomas retain the complex pattern of cytokeratins shown by their cells of origin. The reserve cell carcinomas, in addition, acquire a coexpression for CEA that indicates malignant transformation. The subdivision is of clinical importance because both types of carcinomas vary in their mode and speed of invasion and spread and in their association with HPV infection.

Immunohistochemical study of possible changes in keratin expression during neoplastic transformation of the uterine mucosa

The present study aimed to examine possible changes in keratin expression during neoplastic transformation of the uterine mucosa and possible differences in keratin expression between endocervical and endometrial adenocarcinomas. Routinely processed specimens with normal morphology or neoplastic changes were stained immunohistochemically using 5 commercial antibodies to keratin-filaments of molecular weight 39-58 kD: CAM 5.2, RCK 102, MCA 144, PKE and PRE. We generally found a change in keratin expression during the neoplastic transformation, consisting of pronounced heterogeneity compared with normal epithelia. In distinguishing koilocytic atypia from CIN, RCK 102 (52.5, 58 Kd) may prove helpful as it stains neoplastic cells strongly and shows no reaction in koilocytic. Staining with the antibody CAM 5.2 (reactive with 39, 43, 50 kD filaments) may aid in distinguishing between cervical and endometrial adenocarcinomas. The former is stained uniformly; the latter shows a more variable staining.

Cytokeratin expression in cervical epithelium: an immunohistological study of normal, wart virus-infected and neoplastic tissue

In this study using a panel of anticytokeratin antibodies and an indirect immunoperoxidase method, we examined cervical squamous epithelia including mature stratified epithelium, immature squamous metaplasia, CIN 1, 2 and 3, wart virus infection and squamous carcinoma. Changes from the normal patterns of staining were inconsistently seen in CIN 1 and 2, but in CIN 3 the changes were more marked, and consisted of a loss of stratification of the staining pattern and a patchy reduction in staining. Invasive carcinomas showed a similar staining pattern to CIN 3 lesions.

Distribution of epithelial antigens in the human uterine cervix: a review

Epithelial antigen immunostaining in the uterine cervix has been claimed to be helpful in the identification and classification of rare lesions, evaluation of basement membrane integrity, study of atypical condylomas, immunodetection of proliferating processes and early diagnosis of malignant transformation. The present review attempts to demonstrate the potential value of immunohistological techniques as a means of identifying normal and abnormal patterns of antigenic expression in cervical epithelium.

Cytokeratins in cervical dysplasia and neoplasia: a comparative study of immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies NCL-5D3, CAM 5.2, and PKK1

The expression of low molecular weight cytokeratins (normally expressed only in simple epithelia) in intraepithelial neoplasia of grade CIN III or greater in cervical biopsies has recently been described by Bobrow et al. Our study of 127 cases confirms this finding and in addition we compare the use of three monoclonal antibodies, namely NCL-5D3, CAM 5.2, and PKK1, in demonstrating the phenomenon. Both NCL-5D3 and CAM 5.2 give consistently negative results for non-neoplastic stratified squamous epithelium, as well as CIN I and CIN II lesions, whilst staining about 30 per cent of CIN III biopsies and most carcinomas. PKK1, on the other hand, stained 50 per cent of non-neoplastic epithelia and thus did not serve as a marker of severe dysplasia. The possible implications of these observations are discussed.

Carcinoma of the cervix uteri: an assessment of tumour proliferation using the monoclonal antibody Ki67

Thirty-one cervical biopsies of invasive carcinoma have been studied by immunohistochemical means using the monoclonal antibody Ki67 to determine tumour cell proliferation rates. A wide range (10-50%) in the extent of Ki67 staining (expressed as the percentage of labelled tumour cells) was observed indicating considerable variation on tumour growth rates. There was no significant relationship between the percentage of positive cells and conventional histological parameters such as cell type or tumour differentiation. Immunostaining with monoclonal antibody Ki67 therefore provides a new approach to the assessment of cervical tumour biopsies which will require long term clinical follow-up to establish its prognostic significance.