DISTRIBUTION AND HISTOCHEMICAL-CHARACTERISTICS OF MAST-CELLS IN STROMA OF THE CERVIX SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA

The distribution and histochemical characteristics of mast cells in th e stroma of cervical squamous cell carcinoma were investigated using d ifferent staining methods of alcian blue-safranin, berberine sulphate and toluidine blue. The findings suggest that mast cells in the stroma of the squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix might contain a glycosam inoglycan different from that of typical connective tissue mast cell ( CTMC) and mucosal mast cell (MCC). They thus, might be a specific subs et of mast cells though sharing some of the staining properties of bot h CTMC and MMC. In the cervical carcinoma in situ, mast cells were dis tributed closely around the tumor or the involved glands with great de nsity and the number was significantly higher than that of the invasiv e carcinoma (P<0.01). In invasive carcinoma, mast cells were mainly di stributed in the deep stroma and the stroma around the tumor, only a f ew in the stroma within the tumor (P<0.01)l. The significance of mast cell reaction in the stroma of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix i s discussed.