[Expression of Le(y) antigen in adenocarcinoma and its related lesions of the human uterine cervix].

The natural history and biological behavior of adenocarcinoma and related lesion of the uterine cervix remain controversial issues, but the dynamic alterations in glycosylation in the cancer cells are well known. Recently, it was recently documented that the Ley antigen might be correlated with apoptosis. Over the past eight years, we have encountered 12 cases of invasive adenocarcinoma (AD), 11 cases of early adenocarcinoma (early AD) including 6 adenocarcinoma in situ and 5 microinvasive adenocarcinoma, 16 cases of endocervical glandular dysplasia (EGD) and 10 patients with normal endocervix (control) among 2,165 postoperative cases. Immunohistochemical localizations of Le(y), sialyl Le(x) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antigens were examined in serial sections. The localization of Le(y) antigen was predominant in the subcolumnar reserve cells in controls. The localization of sialyl Le(x) was predominant in the perinuclear portion of cells in cases of EGD. The localization of EGFR was presented in cases of tubal metaplasia, tubal type EGD, early AD and AD. These antigens were present in cases of EGD, early AD and AD, with AD cases showing the highest concentrations. To conclude, the presence of the Le(y) antigen might be correlated with differentiation, development and oncogenesis rather than with apoptosis in these lesions, EGD might indicate a precancerous lesion, and localization of the EGFR antigen indicates that tubal metaplasia, tubal type EGD, early AD and AD may have a common origin.