title: Is cervical dilatation during parturition at term associated with apoptosis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cellular turnover may be involved in remodeling of the cervix during parturition. Therefore, the number and localization of apoptotic and proliferating cells during cervical dilatation at term were determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsy specimens from the lower uterine segment of 36 women undergoing cesarean section with a cervical dilatation of < 2 cm (n = 10), 2- < 4 cm (n = 9), 4-6 cm (n = 8), and > 6 cm (n = 9) were examined for nuclear fragmentation by the TUNEL assay, and for cell survival by the apoptosis-blocking bcl-2. Proliferation was marked by Ki-67, epithelial cells by cytokeratin and leukocytes by CD 45. For quantification of apoptotic and proliferating cells, eight random fields of each specimen stained for TUNEL or Ki-67 were blindly counted by two investigators. For statistical evaluation, 90% confidence intervals based on a Poisson distribution were used; groups with non-overlapping intervals were considered significantly different.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apoptotic cells were found exclusively within the stromal compartment, while bcl-2 was expressed in epithelial cells and leukocytes. Proliferating cells were of stromal and epithelial origin. The number of apoptotic as well as proliferating cells ranged from 0 to 2 cells per high-power field (median number 0) in all groups. The confidence intervals were overlapping for all groups, showing no statistical difference between them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Apoptosis does not seem to play a decisive role in the process of cervical dilatation during parturition at term.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Technical University, Aachen, Germany. dr.kemp@t-online.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rath
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reineke
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Beier
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: von Rango
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D007747:Labor Stage, First / Q000502:physiology; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D036801:Parturition / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D007633:Keratins; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens