Fascin, an actin-bundling protein expression in cervical neoplasms.
OBJECTIVE
Our objectives were (1) to examine expression of fascin in cervical tissues with chronic inflammation, intraepithelial neoplasms and invasive carcinomas, and (2) to investigate the role of fascin on endothelial migration and angiogenesis in cervical neoplasms.


METHODS
In this study we investigated by means of immunohistochemistry fascin expression in 92 cervical biopsy samples representative of chronic inflammation (n=13), squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs, n = 33) and invasive carcinomas (n = 46).


RESULTS
Various degrees of fascin expression were observed in 94% of the samples of SILs, in 67% of the samples of invasive cervical carcinoma and in 69% of the samples of chronic inflammation. Total epithelial fascin scores of samples were significantly higher in high-grade (H)SILs compared to low-grade (L)SILs, invasive carcinoma and chronic inflammation of the cervix (p < 0.05). Mean microvessel count was 55.00 +/- 5.17 in HSILs, 40.76 +/- 3.57 in LSILs, 37.11 +/- 2.91 in carcinoma and 25.69 +/- 3.98 in chronic inflammation. We found a significantly higher microvessel count in HSILs compared to invasive carcinoma and chronic inflammation (respectively, p = .004, p = .000).


CONCLUSIONS
Epithelial fascin expression up-regulated when the malignant tumor cell phenotype had occurred in the cervix. Similarly, microvessel count increased with the beginning of cervical tumorigenesis.
Kabukcuoglu
S
S
Department of Pathology, Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey.
Ozalp
S S
SS
Oner
U
U
Açikalin
M F
MF
Yalcin
O T
OT
Colak
E
E
D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002575:Uterine Cervicitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C020324:fascin