RESUMO
The objective of the study was to identify mastocytosis in the chorionic epithelium of the uterine cervix in HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected women in autopsy specimens using histochemistry and immunohistochemistry techniques. Sixteen cervical tissue specimens were collected, of which 10 (62.50%) were from HIV-infected women. Histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques were used to evaluate mast cell density using Giemsa stain and anti-mast cell tryptase and anti-mast cell chymase antibodies, respectively. The study of the sheets and counting of mast cells with blue (Giemsa) or brown staining (anti-mast cell tryptase or chymase antibodies) were performed by 3 examiners, and 10 consecutive fields were examined under a light microscope at 400× magnification. A significant difference was found in mast cell density in the chorionic epithelium of the cervix in HIV-infected compared with non-HIV-infected women. The present study may contribute to the characterization of genital mucosa abnormalities and help better understand the potential role of mast cells in HIV-infected women.
