K-ras expression--marker of dysplasia and cancer.

Molecular and epidemiological data indicated that the presence of HPV virus is not sufficient to induce transformation, suggesting the implication of other several cellular factors. Constitutive activation of the Ras signaling pathway is an important component of malignant progression for a number of different cancers. In this context, the objectives of our study were: the quantitative assessment of the K-ras gene expression changes in the development of the HPV positive cervical cancers.