METHODS: A total of 234 invasive cervical carcinomas (152 squamous cell carcinomas, 61 adenocarcinomas and 21 adenosquamous carcinomas) and 16 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I, six CIN II and 25 CIN III were immunohistochemically studied for p53.
RESULTS: p53 was detected more frequently in CIN and invasive carcinoma (100% of CIN I, 74.2% CIN II + III and 70.1% invasive carcinoma) compared with benign cervices (P< 0.001); however, only three squamous cell carcinomas, 11 adenocarcinomas and two adenosquamous carcinomas exhibited p53 expression in >75% of tumour nuclei. Six of the 11 adenocarcinomas and both adenosquamous carcinomas were poorly differentiated compared with one of the three squamous carcinomas. p53 immunoreactive cells were randomly distributed in invasive carcinoma, confined to the lower third of the epithelium in CIN I, reached the middle third in 20% of CIN II and upper third in 16.6% of CIN III.
CONCLUSIONS: Assuming that p53 immunoreactivity indicates gene mutation when the majority (> 75%) of neoplastic cells express p53, p53 mutations would seem uncommon in cervical carcinogenesis. Nonetheless, glandular malignancies, in particular poorly differentiated variants, may show a higher frequency of mutation. p53 was detected more frequently in CIN I compared with CIN II/III and invasive carcinoma which may be due to p53 protein degradation following interaction with high risk human papillomavirus E6 protein in CIN II/III and invasive carcinoma.
METHODS: Histologically confirmed invasive cervical carcinoma and benign cervices were assayed for telomerase activity using a commercial telomerase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kit. The same cases were subjected to PCR detection of HPV using type specific (HPV types 6b, 11, 16, and 18) followed by L1 open reading frame (ORF) consensus primers.
RESULTS: HPV was detected in 18 (13 HPV-16, one HPV-6b, four only L1 ORF) of 20 invasive cervical carcinoma and one (only L1 ORF) of 19 benign cervices. Raised telomerase activity (A(450 nm) > 0.215) was detected in 11 cervical carcinomas, with A(450 nm) ranging between 0.238 and 21.790 (mean, 3.952) in positive squamous carcinomas, whereas A(450 nm) was only 0.222 in the one positive adenosquamous carcinoma. Five of 11 cervical carcinomas in stage I, three of six in stage II, both in stage III, and the only case in stage IV showed telomerase activation. Increased telomerase activity was noted in five of the 12 lymph node negative, five of the seven lymph node status unknown cases, and the one case with presumed lymph node metastasis. Ten of 18 HPV positive and one of two HPV negative cervical carcinomas showed telomerase upregulation.
CONCLUSIONS: Telomerase is activated in invasive cervical carcinoma. Although larger studies are needed, there seems to be no clear association between telomerase upregulation and HPV status, although there is a suggestion of increased telomerase activity in squamous carcinomas and late stage disease.
METHODS: This paper reviews devices invented for different cervical cancer screening methods, which are Pap smear test, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) or Lugol's iodine (VILI), and HPV (human papillomavirus)-DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) self-test in terms of functionality, performance in solving the limitations of screening procedure and additionally where applicable, the cervical cell collection efficacy and abnormality detection accuracy. The devices are either available in the market, published in research articles or published in international patent databases.
RESULT: The reviewed devices either simplified the screening procedure to improve the clinical efficiency and accuracy in screening, reduced the pain and discomfort experienced by women during screening procedures, or achieved both outcomes.
CONCLUSION: Many devices have been invented to improve the screening procedures which may potentially improve the uptake in cervical screening tests and encourage the organization of screening campaigns to reduce cervical cancer incidence.
METHODS: Fertile women and women with unexplained infertility but having regular 28-day menstrual cycles were chosen in this study, Day-22 serum progesterone levels were determined. In the meantime, serum FSH and LH levels were determined on day 2 while, cervical flushing was performed at day 14 to analyse changes in the cervical fluid pH, osmolarity, Na+ and Cl- levels. Meanwhile, cells retrieved from cervical fluid were subjected to mRNA expression and protein distribution analysis for CFTR, AQP and ENaC by qPCR and immunofluorescence, respectively.
RESULTS: No significant changes in serum progesterone, FSH and LH levels were observed between the two groups. However, cervical fluid pH, osmolarity, Na+ and Cl- levels were significantly lower in primary unexplained infertile group when compared to fertile group. Expression of CFTR and AQP (AQP 1, AQP 2, AQP 5 and AQP 7) in endocervical cells was lower and expression of β-ENaC was higher in primary unexplained infertile women (p cervix might contribute towards the unfavourable condition that accounts for unexplained infertility in women.
METHODS: Dose measurement of a standard pear-shaped plan carried out in phantom to verify the MOSkin dose measurement accuracy. With MOSkin attached to the third diode, RP3 of the PTW 9112, both detectors were inserted into patients' rectum. The RP3 and MOSkin measured doses in 18 sessions as well as the maximum measured doses from PTW 9112, RPmax in 48 sessions were compared to the planned doses.
RESULTS: Percentage dose differences ΔD (%) in phantom study for two MOSkin found to be 2.22 ± 0.07% and 2.5 ± 0.07%. IVD of 18 sessions resulted in ΔD(%) of -16.3% to 14.9% with MOSkin and ΔD(%) of -35.7% to -2.1% with RP3. In 48 sessions, RPmax recorded ΔD(%) of -37.1% to 11.0%. MOSkin_measured doses were higher in 44.4% (8/18) sessions, while RP3_measured were lower than planned doses in all sessions. RPmax_measured were lower in 87.5% of applications (42/47).
CONCLUSIONS: The delivered doses proven to deviate from planned doses due to unavoidable shift between imaging and treatment as measured with MOSkin and PTW 9112 detectors. The integration of MOSkin on commercial PTW 9112 surface found to be feasible for rectal dose IVD during cervical HDR ICBT.