[Evaluation of level of expression of p16 (INK4a) in endocervical lesions of uterine cervix].
The incidence of malignant and premalignant endocervical glandular lesions is increasing. Several research groups have recently used the protein p16 (INK4a) as a possible diagnostic biomarker of cervical cancer. The objects of study were to evaluate whether the specificity of p16 (INK4a) expression in is sufficient for distinguishing normal, dysplastic and neoplastic endocervical epithelium.


METHODS
Paraffin-embedded samples of diagnostic biopsies and surgical materials were used. Control group included biopsy samples from 10 patients with normal findings. We examined 20 samples with different pathologic endocervical lesions. Monoclonal antibody against p16 was used (DAKO).


RESULTS
In control samples we did not find any p16 (INK4a)-positive cells. Overexpression of p16 (INK4a) was detected in samples of cervical dysplasia and invasive carcinomas.


CONCLUSIONS
Overexpression of the protein p16 (INK4a) is typical for dysplastic and neoplastic epithelium of cervix uteri. p16 (INK4a) may be regarded as a supplementary test for routine diagnostics of cervical lesions.
Popovska
S
S
Betova
T
T
Tomov
S
S
Gorchev
G
G
Dikov
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16