Tenascin expression in human cervical cancer, a comparative analysis with clinicopathological parameters

Tenascin is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein expressed in the stroma of benign and malignant tumors. We studied the expression of tenascin in norm al tissue of the cervix uteri, cervical carcinoma in situ, and invasive cer vical carcinoma by immunohistochemistry. A definite correlation was found b etween weak or none tenascin expression and slight desmoplastic mesenchymal reactivity (n=42/91%, p<0.001), lymphatic space invasion (n=54/81%, p<0.00 1) and lymph node metastases (n=30/77%, p<0.05). Tenascin-positive patients had a significantly better prognosis than tenascin-negative patients (mean survival time of 56.5 +/- 4.1 months versus 31.9 +/- 5.6 months, p<0.05).