Beta-carotene levels in exfoliated cervicovaginal epithelial cells in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to measure beta-carotene levels in exfoliated epithelial cervicovaginal cells collected by a lavage technique in normal women and patients with histopathologically diagnosed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer.


METHODS
In a cross-sectional sampling of women (n = 105), cervicovaginal cells and plasma beta-carotene levels were assayed with high-pressure liquid chromatography. In addition, beta-carotene levels were measured in exfoliated epithelial samples of cervicovaginal cells obtained from women (n = 24) enrolled in an ongoing oral beta-carotene supplementation clinical trial.


RESULTS
Cervicovaginal cells and plasma beta-carotene levels were found to be significantly decreased in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer as compared with controls (p < 0.0001, analysis of variance). Retinol levels in cervicovaginal cells were undetectable. The beta-carotene levels in cervicovaginal cells were markedly increased in the majority of patients (79%) after oral supplementation as compared with baseline levels in women enrolled in the beta-carotene clinical trial.


CONCLUSIONS
The study demonstrates that changes of in situ cellular beta-carotene concentrations are measurable in samples of exfoliated epithelial cells obtained by a noninvasive saline lavage harvesting technique. The current findings further support our previous hypothesis that beta-carotene deficiency may have an etiologic role in the pathogenesis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and/or cervical cancer.
Palan
P R
PR
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461.
Mikhail
M S
MS
Basu
J
J
Romney
S L
SL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014621:Vagina / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019207:beta Carotene
D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids