Heat shock protein 27 and p16 immunohistochemistry in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and squamous cell carcinoma.

Heat shock protein 27 (hsp27) is expressed by squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Results from an earlier study by our group indicted that hsp27 may be a diagnostic marker for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and carcinoma. p16 expression is known to be elevated in intraepithelial uterine cervical cancer and grades 2 and 3 lesions (CIN2, CIN3), but has also been reported to be negative in 5-20% of cervical cancer and CIN lesions.