Polymorphism of Ag(+)-NORs in cervical smears from women with cervical cancer

Anal Quant Cytol Histol. 2001 Feb;23(1):9-14.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate Ag(+)-stained (Ag(+)-NOR) polymorphism in four groups of patients with various grades of cervical lesions and in a control group.

Study design: Forty-five women were selected, diagnosed and classified on the bases of the Pap smear and colposcopy/biopsy at Hospital de Ginecologia y Obstetricia del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Monterrey, Mexico. Five categories were considered: (1) inflammatory, (2) low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs), (3) high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), (4) invasive cervical cancer, and (5) normal. The cervical smears were stained by the Ag(+)-NOR method. One hundred cells per slide were counted and classified according to the polymorphism of Ag(+)-NOR dots: typical (spherical) and atypical (large, kidney shaped and clustered). The four shapes of Ag(+)-NORs were quantified by percentage and transformed using the arcsine root procedure.

Results: Statistical analysis showed a significant decrease in spherical shape according to neoplastic development. The three atypical shapes showed a significant increase in patients with HSIL and invasive carcinoma in respect to LSIL. Principal components analysis grouped the data at five locations in the plane formed by the first two principal components according to the diagnosis.

Conclusion: These findings suggest the potential diagnostic and prognostic value of the determination of Ag(+)-NOR polymorphism in cervical cytology studies.

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / ultrastructure
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Nucleolus Organizer Region / pathology*
  • Nucleolus Organizer Region / ultrastructure
  • Papanicolaou Test
  • Polymorphism, Genetic*
  • Silver Staining
  • Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / pathology
  • Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / ultrastructure
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / ultrastructure
  • Vaginal Smears