ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mutations in genes of the DNA mismatch repair system (MMR) are linked to hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer and also play a role in sporadic cancer. Besides its repair function, the MMR is the linkage of DNA mismatch recognition to the cell cycle control. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The correlation between the immunoreactivity of the MMR protein hMSH2 and p53, apoptosis, clinical prognosis factors and the survival rate in 102 samples of cervical carcinoma was determined. RESULTS: hMSH2 immunoreactivity was correlated with p53 and weakly correlated with apoptosis. hMSH2 immunoreactivity could not be correlated to any tumour markers, while apoptosis correlated significantly with T stage, FIGO classification and the relative risk of death from cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: In cervical cancer, the processes of DNA mismatch repair, cell cycle control and apoptosis seemingly act in concert. Decreased expression of the hMSH2 mismatch repair protein might lead to a failure in the induction of apoptosis.
