Detection of proliferative cells in dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix by monoclonal antibody against DNA polymerase alpha.

The distribution of DNA polymerase alpha-positive cells in neoplasia of the uterine cervix and in normal cervical epithelium was studied using a monoclonal antibody against DNA polymerase alpha. The positive cells were found only in the parabasal layer of normal cervical epithelium and only in the nonkeratinized areas of the cancer nests of invasive keratinizing carcinoma. Most cells in cancer nests of an invasive nonkeratinizing carcinoma were found to be DNA polymerase alpha-positive. In cases of mild or moderate dysplasia DNA polymerase alpha-positive cells were found only in the lower half of the epithelium. DNA polymerase alpha-positive cells in severe dysplasia to carcinoma in situ were distributed throughout the full thickness of the epithelium. The percentages of DNA polymerase alpha-positive cells in mild or moderate dysplasia, severe dysplasia to carcinoma in situ, and invasive carcinoma were 32.2%, 45.7%, and 53.7%, respectively. The authors previously developed immunohistochemical methods for detecting DNA polymerase alpha by monoclonal antibody that allowed the proliferative activity of cells in normal and neoplastic tissues to be estimated.