[Apoptosis and cell growth fraction in normal, dysplastic and neoplastic squamous epithelium of uterine cervix].

The populations of cells in apoptosis as well as proliferating cycle were examined in normal cervical epithelium, dysplastic change, carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma. The percentage of apoptotic cells (% Apo) decreased with the neoplastic change and was significantly lower in carcinoma in situ group than in the dysplasia group. Conversely, the percentage of cells in proliferating cycle (% GF) increased with the neoplastic change and was significantly higher in the dysplasia group than in the normal group. In the dysplasia group, the % Apo was lower in cases with HPV 16 infection or with bcl-2 expression, and the % GF was higher in cases with p53 expression. In conclusions, the decrease in apoptosis may reflect the atypical change in cervical epithelial cells during their neoplastic change, and the proliferative activity in neoplastic lesion was found when the cervical epithelium with dysplastic change was transformed to the carcinoma in situ. Furthermore, these events were related to the p53 accumulation and bcl-2 expression following the HPV 16 infection.