MINIMAL DEVIATION ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE UTERINE CERVIX HAS ABNORMAL EXPRESSION OF SEX STEROID-RECEPTORS, CA125, AND GASTRIC MUCIN

To provide clues to the histological differentiation between minimal d eviation adenocarcinoma (MDA) of the uterine cervix and normal cervica l glands, we analyzed the histochemical expression of ovarian steroid receptors [estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR)], muc osubstances such as gastric mucin, CA125, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in normal cervical glands (10 cases) and MDA (seven cases), Muc in histochemistry showed that gastric mucin was focally demonstrated i n all the cases of MDA but in none of the normal cervical glands. ER a nd PR were not expressed in MDA, whereas both receptors were invariabl y expressed in normal cervices. Expression of CA125 was significantly decreased in MDA, but was diffusely positive in normal endocervical gl ands. CEA was focally positive in all cases of MDA, but it was consist ently negative in normal cervical glands. These results suggest that M DA lacks expression of the characteristic mullerian-type substances su ch as ER, PR, and CA125, and that a proportion of its cells contain ga stric epithelial substances, comprising gastric mucin and CEA. In conc lusion, loss of the expression of ER and PR, decreased expression of C A125, and staining for gastric mucin and CEA could be used for histolo gic discrimination of MDA from benign cervical glands.