Diagnostic Modalities of Precancerous and Cancerous Cervical Lesions with Special Emphasis on CD31 Angiogenesis Factor as a Marker.

Objectives. To evaluate the role of angiogenesis tumor marker CD31 in the detection of precancerous and cancerous cervical lesions and to compare its efficacy with colposcopy and histopathology. Materials and Methods. 230 patients with a suspicious looking cervix and an abnormal Pap smear attending the Outpatient Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of GSVM Medical College were subjected to a colposcopic examination. 180 patients with suspected colposcopic findings were subjected to a colposcopic directed biopsy. Biopsy tissues were sent for histopathological examination out of which 50 biopsied samples were sent for immunostaining of CD-31. Statistical analysis was done. Results. Comparison of microvessel density (MVD) count by haematoxylin and eosin staining (HE) and immunostaining of CD31 in preinvasive group were 4.012 ± 2.57 and 5.44 ± 2.21, respectively, and in invasive group were 9.18 ± 2.32 and 12.82 ± 4.07, respectively, which showed that MVD was higher by CD31 both in preinvasive and invasive group, and it was statistically significant. Conclusion. Angiogenesis is a marker of tumor progression, and CD31 fixes up vessel better as compared to HE, so aggressiveness of the tumor can be better predicted by MVD-CD31 as compared to MVD-HE.