AGNOR PROTEIN QUANTITY OF CERVICAL SMEARS CORRELATES WITH THAT OF HISTOLOGICAL SECTIONS IN CERVICAL INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA

The quantitative distribution of AgNOR proteins has been determined by image cytometry in 52 cervical smears obtained from normal cervix (n= 20), grade I CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) (n=3), grade I C IN (n=5) and grade III CIN (n=34). No significant difference was demon strated in the mean AgNOR protein area values between normal cervix, C IN I and CIN II, while AgNOR protein scores of CIN III were significan tly greater than those of normal cervix (p<0.05). AgNOR protein quanti ty was also determined in 17 colposcopic directed biopsies of patients with CIN lesions (3 CIN II and 14 CIN III) already studied by cytolog ical analysis. When AgNOR protein values of histological sections and corresponding cytological smears were compared by linear regression an alysis, a significant correlation was found (r=0.74, p<0.05). Our resu lts demonstrate that AgNOR protein quantity of cervical smears actuall y reflects that of the cervical epithelium in situ and may therefore b e useful for the cytological diagnosis of cervical lesions.