title: Precocious appearance of markers of squamous differentiation in metaplastic cells of human endocervix.
abstract: We used immunoperoxidase methods employing antibodies against involucrin and filaggrin, both markers of squamous terminal differentiation, to study squamous metaplastic transformation in the human endocervix. Expression of involucrin and filaggrin was restricted to squamous metaplastic cells whereas columnar epithelial cells were constantly negative. Immature squamous metaplastic epithelium also showed a positive immunostaining. In mature squamous metaplasia a suprabasal homogeneous staining pattern similar to that found in the exocervical epithelium was detected, although with full-thickness filaggrin immunoreactivity in 45% of cases (P less than 0.05). These results support the hypothesis of an epithelial origin of reserve subcolumnar cells, and suggest that precocious squamous differentiation seems to take place in metaplastic cells of the human endocervix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Valencia University School of Medicine, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lara
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marzo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valcuende
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castells
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonilla-Musoles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology*; D004848:Epithelium; D005260:Female; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C000717249:FLG protein, human; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; C032253:involucrin