ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Quantitative analysis of both apoptosis and proliferation should provide important insight into tumor biology. The aim of this study is to clarify the significance of apoptosis in the progression of uterine cervical neoplasia, including cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and microinvasive and invasive squamous cell carcinoma categories. in relation to cell proliferation. METHODS:: Forty five cases of cervical intraepithelial neopasia. 10 of microinvasive carcinoma, and 10 of invasive squamous cell carcinoma were examined using formalin fixed and paraffin embedded samples. The TdT mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling(TUNEL) method for apoptotic cells, and Ki-67 and Topo-II immunojhistochemistry for proliferating activity were performed. RESULTS: Apoptotic and proliferative indices, calculated by counting positive nuclei among 1,000 nuclei of cancer cells, should significant positive correlation with histological malignancy grading in CIN and tumor cell invasion into stroma, and showed also significant positive correlation between them. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that apoptosis in cervical neoplasia may be closely related to tumor cell differentiation and progression.