IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF MUC1 MUCIN IN THE CERVICAL EPITHELIUM

Abstract

Immunocytochemical (ICC) staining using the monoclonal antibody ICO25 was performed to examine MUC1 mucin expression in the cervical smears obtained from healthy women (34), patients having benign cervical disease (n = 22), low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN1, n = 3), high-grade CIN (CIN2-3, n = 32), early squamous cervical cancer (SCC, n = 12), and from those after organ-saving treatment (n = 66). In CIN2-3 and SCC, atypical squamous epithelial cells were shown to be detectable by ICO24 ICC staining in the vast majority (95%) of cases. Negative staining of dyskaryotic naked nuclei was observed in 2 cases. Staining heterogeneity was noted in SCC. ICC staining allowed efficient detection of MUC1-positive dyskaryotic cells in the smears with a pronounced inflammatory background and a high blood cell count. There was a correlation between the detection of basal and parabasal cells having a depolarized MUC1 expression pattern onto the surface membrane and the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus. ICO25 staining can be a promising way to enhance the sensitivity of cytological diagnosis of cervical neoplasias and to assess the risk and progression of pathological cervical epithelial changes.