Glutathione S-transferase (placental) as a marker of transformation in the human cervix uteri: an immunohistochemical study.

Using an indirect immunohistochemical technique on paraffin sections, employing a polyclonal antibody to the acidic (placental) form of glutathione-S-transferase (GST), we have evaluated cytoplasmic and nuclear staining in a series of 67 cervical biopsies including normal non neoplastic tissue, immature squamous metaplasia, all grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive carcinomas of keratinising and non-keratinising types. No differences in cytoplasmic staining between the varied lesions studied were seen. However, there were marked differences in nuclear staining. While normal non-neoplastic stratified squamous epithelium showed weak staining of the lower one-third of the epithelium only, in immature squamous metaplasia and in all grades of CIN there was intense nuclear staining in all layers of the epithelium. Invasive carcinomas showed generally less intense nuclear staining than CIN lesions. Endocervical cell nuclei also showed intense nuclear staining. These findings indicate that GST is of limited use as a marker of transformation in the human cervix uteri.