LEUKOCYTES IN THE CERVIX - A QUANTITATIVE-EVALUATION OF CERVICITIS

Objective: To quantify the numbers of leukocytes in the normal cervix and relate these numbers to the diagnosis of cervicitis. Methods: Isol ated cell suspensions were prepared from cervical tissue recovered at hysterectomy from 37 women who had no obvious cervical disease. The pe rcentages of CD45(+) cells (leukocytes) in these preparations were det ermined using immunofluorescence-based flow cytometric analysis. These percentages were compared with the pathologist's assessment of cervic itis. Results: Leukocytes were present in all cervical samples tested. For endocervical samples, the mean (+/- standard error of the mean [S EM]) percentage of CD45(+) cells was 12.4 +/- 1.9% of cells in patient s with a diagnosis of cervicitis (n = 16) and 9.1 +/- 1.1% in patients without cervicitis (n = 17). For ectocervical samples, the mean (+/- SEM) percentage was 14.8 +/- 3.0% in those with cervicitis (n = 16) an d 9.5 +/- 1.6% in those without cervicitis (n = 19). The differences b etween samples from patients with cervicitis and those without cervici tis were not statistically significant at the .05 level. Intra-and int erassay variabilities were 5.7 +/- 1.2% and 7.3 +/- 1.6%, respectively . Conclusion: Our study demonstrates there is a resident population of leukocytes in the cervix. Leukocyte number did not relate clearly and consistently to the diagnosis of cervicitis made by the pathologist. We suggest that the resident population of leukocytes, in the absence of other indicators of infection, may confuse determinations of cervic itis. (C) 1998 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologi sts.