A SIMPLE CLINICAL METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF IMPROVED CERVICAL SMEARS-APPROXIMATING TO MONOLAYERS

Conventionally prepared cervical smears contain multilayers of cells d eposited within strands of mucin. The present study is concerned with chemical reduction of disulphide bonds in the mucin leading to depolym erisation prior to forming a smear in the conventional manner The resu ltant distribution of cells on the slide is similar to that obtained b y machines designed to produce monolayers of cells. These monolayers h ave been developed for use in automated analysis of cervical smears an d sputum samples. This new technique does not interfere with conventio nal PAP analysis of dyskaryotic cells nor does it interfere with the f luorescent location of such cells of cytological interest.