ANALYSIS OF PROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY USING KI-67 ON CERVICAL PRECANCEROUS LESIONS AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO P53 EXPRESSION

Neoplastic cell growth rate and the p53 expression have been recently analysed in invasive cervical carcinoma. Samples of 20 specimens with normal cervical epithelium and 73 specimens of dysplasia and carcinoma in situ (CIS) were immunostained with monoclonal antibodies to p53 an d Ki-67 to examine the interrelationship between p53, Ki-67 and HPV st atus in cervical intraepithelial neoplasm. The presence of HPV was ass essed by in situ DNA hybridization. Of dysplasias and CIS 79% were HPV positive. The growth rate of neoplastic cells was significantly corre lated to the histological grade and the HPV status. The highest prolif eration was found in poorly differentiated HPV 16/18 positive precance rous lesions. The analysis of the p53 expression showed no difference between various histological grades. However, the p53 oncoprotein was expressed slgnificantly lower in HPV 16/18 positive neoplasms The asse ssment of neoplastic cell growth rate offers a potentially valuable ap proach to predicting biological behaviour in intraepithelial neoplasms .