title: Is there any role of mast cell density and microvessel density in cervical squamous cell carcinoma? A histologic study with special reference to CD-34 immunomarker staining.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mast cells are involved in induction of angiogenesis in the early-stages of tumor development and in modulating blood vessel growth in the later stages of tumor progression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was carried out to evaluate the association between mast cell density (MCD) and microvessel density (MVD) in carcinoma in situ (CIS), microinvasive carcinoma (CA) and invasive squamous cell CA of cervix.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six cases of CIS, four cases of microinvasive CA and 38 cases of invasive CA were studied over a period of 2 years from August, 2011 to June, 2013. Ten control samples were included in the study. Routine histologic examination was done. Toluidine blue stain was used for MCD determination. Immunohistochemical analysis with CD-34 was done for assessing MVD. Student's t-test was used to calculate the statistical significance of MCD and MVD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both MCD and MVD increased from normal samples through CIS to invasive cervical CA. In the four cases of microinvasive CA, the MCD and MVD were more than that of the control samples, but less than that of the six cases of CIS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a correlation between mast cell accumulation and angiogenesis in CIS, microinvasive CA and invasive cervical squamous cell CA. MCD and MVD in invasive CA exceed those in CIS and microinvasive CA. It gives us an opportunity to postulate that therapeutic strategies against mast cell mediators and angiogenesis may be of benefit in patients of early-stage cervical CA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Santosh Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Senjuti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Palash Kumar
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Mandal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Shankha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Debdutta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
keywords: Angiogenesis; cervix; immunohistochemistry; mast cell; squamous cell carcinoma