Type IV Collagen and E-cadherin Expression of Progressive Uterine Cervical Epithelial Lesions

Sol, Mee Young; Kim, Jee Yeon

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the role and the value as progression markers, of type IV collagen and E-cadherin in the pathogenesis of progressive uterine cervical epithelial lesions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Materials examined were 4 cases of normal exocervical squamous epithelium, 9 of endocervical squamous metaplasias, 2 of mild dysplasias, 8 of moderate dysplasias, 15 of severe dysplasias, 12 of carcinoma in situ, 7 of microinvasive squamous cell carcinomas, and 4 cases of invasive squamous cell carcinomas. All of them were biopsied ones and products of conization and hysterectomy. The expression of type IV collagen and E-cadherin in uterine cervical epithelial lesions were studied by immunohistochemical method using monoclonal antibodies to type IV collagen and E-cadherin.
RESULTS
The expression of type IV collagen decreased relatively stepwise from squamous metaplasias to cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CIN) and subsequently to invasive carcinomas. The expression of type IV collagen in normal uterine exocervical squamous epithelium was within normal range in contrast to variable expression in squamous metaplasia. There was no definite difference in expression pattern between early invasive carcinoma and advanced invasive carcinomas. Normal and squamous metaplastic epithelium of uterine cervix revealed membranous expression of E-cadherin and cervical intraepithelial lesions showed cytoplasmic expression or negative expression instead of membranous expression. There was clearcut difference in E-cadherin expression between normal or metaplastic epithelium and neoplastic lesions.
CONCLUSION
The change of type IV collagen expression could be an early marker in the progression of uterine cervical epithelial lesions from normal epithelium. And the loss of differentiaton and polarity and the deranged expression of E-cadherin are closely correlated on the basis of the result that the changed expression of E-cadherin was evident in the stage of transition from normal to neoplastic lesions.