Polymorphism of Ag(+)-NORs in cervical smears from women with cervical cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate Ag(+)-stained (Ag(+)-NOR) polymorphism in four groups of patients with various grades of cervical lesions and in a control group.


METHODS
Forty-five women were selected, diagnosed and classified on the bases of the Pap smear and colposcopy/biopsy at Hospital de Ginecologia y Obstetricia del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Monterrey, Mexico. Five categories were considered: (1) inflammatory, (2) low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs), (3) high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), (4) invasive cervical cancer, and (5) normal. The cervical smears were stained by the Ag(+)-NOR method. One hundred cells per slide were counted and classified according to the polymorphism of Ag(+)-NOR dots: typical (spherical) and atypical (large, kidney shaped and clustered). The four shapes of Ag(+)-NORs were quantified by percentage and transformed using the arcsine root procedure.


RESULTS
Statistical analysis showed a significant decrease in spherical shape according to neoplastic development. The three atypical shapes showed a significant increase in patients with HSIL and invasive carcinoma in respect to LSIL. Principal components analysis grouped the data at five locations in the plane formed by the first two principal components according to the diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest the potential diagnostic and prognostic value of the determination of Ag(+)-NOR polymorphism in cervical cytology studies.
Cortés-Gutiérrez
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Division of Genetics, Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Noreste, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social,  Administración de Correos No. 4, Apartado postal 020-E, E.P. 64720 Monterrey, Mexico. elvairenecortes@hotmail.com
Leal-Elizondo
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Cerda-Flores
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RM
Leal-Garza
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D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D016622:Silver Staining; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure