THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN (PCNA), NUCLEAR-DNA CONTENT AND MUTANT P53 DURING GENESIS OF CERVICAL-CARCINOMA

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), nuclear DNA content and mut ant p53 overexpression were studied by means of image cytometry and im munohistochemistry respectively in normal mucosa (n = 16), moderate (n = 9) and severe (n = 17) atypical lesions, as well as in squamous cel l carcinomas (n = 36) of the cervix uteri. The results show that incre asing histopathological atypia in the cervical mucosa was correlated t o an initial increase of PCNA followed by distinct aneuploidy and p53 overexpression. The data are suggested to contribute to a better under standing of the genesis of cervical carcinoma, and to indicate that th e coexistence of both distinct aneuploidy and p53 immunoreactivity can be used to decide if a cell population is neoplastic, whereas the abs ence of p53 overexpression does not necessarily exclude neoplasia. Thi s diagnostic procedure can be suggested to improve early detection of intraepithelial squamous neoplasia.