Abstract
Among the major difficulties in determining the histogenesis of small-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the cervix is the issue of identifying the cell from which the neoplasm arises. In this study we performed an immunohistochemical analysis of the neuroendocrine cells in the normal ectoendocervical epithelium by using a microwave heating technique. In ectocervical epithelium, positivity for chromogranin and/or neuron-specific enolase was detected in 18% of the cases, whereas 46% of the endocervical mucosae demonstrated immunoreactive cells for these antibodies. Isolated endocervical neuroendocrine cells showed immunoreactivity for antigastrin (1 case), anti-VIP (3 cases), and antisynaptophysin (14 cases) antibodies. A comparative analysis of 4 diagnosed cases of small-cell carcinoma of the cervix demonstrated immunoreactivity for neuron-specific enolase and chromogranin, respectively, in 3 cases and for synaptophysin in 1 case. Thus, small-cell carcinoma of the cervix likely originates from cells with neuroendocrine differentiation localized mainly in the endocervical glands. These findings offer an explanation for the paraneoplastic syndromes described in some cases of small-cell carcinoma of the cervix.
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