Abstract
Epithelial distribution of filaggrin, a histidine-rich protein related to squamous terminal differentiation, was investigated in 87 cervical biopsies using an avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique with a monoclonal anti-human filaggrin antibody (AKH1). Normal squamous cervical epithelium exhibited a positive homogeneous immunoperoxidase stain in the upper parabasal, intermediate and superficial cell layers. Similar findings were obtained in cervical condylomas, although full-thickness staining was observed in 35.7% of the cases (P<0.001). Filaggrin expression in CIN was inversely related to the severity of the lesion (P<0.001). An irregular staining pattern was present in most high-grade CIN. Filaggrin expression was closely connected to the degree of tumour differentiation (P<0.05) in squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix. Abnormal filaggrin stainings identified a premalignant/malignant cervical squamous lesion with a positive predictive value of 92.3%. Non-squamous epithelia showed lack of filaggrin expression. Filaggrin may therefore be considered a marker of squamous differentiation in both the normal and pathological human uterine cervix.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bonilla-Musoles F (1978) El cuello uterino y sus enfermedades. Ed. Jims, Barcelona, pp 27–81
Cintorino M, Syrjanen S, Leoncini P, Bellizi de Merco E, Petracca R, Pallini V, Tosi P, Mantyjarvi R, Syrjänen K (1988) Altered expression of filaggrin in human papillomavirus (HPV) lesions of the uterine cervix. Arch Gynecol Obstet 241: 235–247
Dale BA, Gown AM, Fleckman P, Kimball JR, Resing KA (1987) Characterization of two monoclonal antibodies to human epidermal keratohyalin: Reactivity with filaggrin and related proteins. J Invest Dermatol 88: 306–313
Ford MJ (1986) Filaggrin. Int J Dermatol 25: 547–551
Grosso M, Lentini M, De Marco EB, Petracca R, Lencini P, Carrozza G (1990) Immunohistochemical localization of filaggrin in benign and malignant lesions of the oral mucosa. Basic Appl Histochem 34: 51–58
Itoiz ME, Conti CJ, Lanfranchi HE (1985) Immunohistochemical detection of filaggrin in preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the human oral mucosa. Am J Pathol 119: 456–461
Jochmus I, Durst M, Reid R, Altmann A, Bijward KE, Gissmann L, Jenson AB (1993) Major histocompatibility complex and human papillomavirus type 16 E7 expression in highgrade vulvar lesions. Hum Pathol 24: 519–524
Kanitakis J, Ramirez-Bosca A, Reano A, Viac J, Roche P, Thivolet J (1988) Filaggrin expression in normal and pathological skin. A marker of keratinocyte differentiation. Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histopathol 412: 375–382
Klein-Szanto AJP, Barr RJ, Reiners JJ, Mamrack MD (1984) Filaggrin distribution in keratoacanthomas and squamous cell carcinoma. Arch Pathol Lab Med 108: 888–890
Kvedar JC, Fewkes J, Baden HP (1986) Immunologic detection of markers of keratinocyte differentiation. Arch Pathol Lab Med 110: 183–188
Manabe M, Sanchez M, Sun TT, Dale BA (1991) Interaction of filaggrin with keratin filaments during advanced stages of normal epidermal differentiation and in ichtyosis vulgaris. Differentiation 48: 43–50
Manabe M, O'Guin WM (1992) Keratohyalin, trichohyalin and keratohyalin-trichohyalin hybrid granules: an overview. J Dermatol 19: 749–755
McGlennen RC, Ostrow RS, Carson LF, Stanley MS, Faras AJ (1991) Expression of cytokine receptors and markers of differentiation in human papillomavirus-infected cervical tissues. Am J Obstet Gynecol 165: 696–705
Merrick DT, Blanton RA, Gown AM, McDougall JK (1992) Altered expression of proliferation and differentiation markers in human papillomavirus 16 and 18 immortalized epithelial cells grown in organotypic culture. Am J Pathol 140: 167–177
Serra V, Ramirez A, Marzo MC, Valcuende F, Lara C, Castells A, Bonilla-Musoles F (1989) Distribution of epithelial antigens in the human uterine cervix: a review. Arch Gynecol Obstet 246: 61–84
Serra V, Lara C, Ramirez AA, Marzo MC, Valcuende F, Castells A, Bonilla-Musoles F (1989) Precocious appearance of markers of squamous differentiation in metaplastic cells of human endocervix. Arch Gynecol Obstet 246: 233–242
Serra V, Ramirez AA, Lara C, Marzo C, Castells A, Bonilla-Musoles F (1990) Distribution of involucrin in normal and pathological human uterine cervix. Gynecol Oncol 36: 34–42
Smith SA, Dale BA (1986) Immunological localization of filaggrin in human oral epithelia and correlation with keratinization. J Invest Dermatol 86: 168–172
Viac J, Guerin-Reverchon I, Chignol MC, Chardonnet Y (1989) Filaggrin expression in cutaneous and mucosal human papillomavirus induced lesions. Pathol Res Pract 185: 342–346
Vigneswaran N, Peters KP, Hornstein OP, Haneke E (1989) Comparison of cytokeratin, filaggrin and involucrin profiles in oral leukoplakias and squamous carcinomas. J Oral Pathol Med 18: 377–390
Zuna RE, Mann W, Greenberg H (1986) Immunohistochemical study of squamous differentiation in the uterine cervix. Lab Invest 54: 73(A)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lara, C., Serra, V., Marzo, C. et al. Immunohistochemical localization of filaggrin in benign, premalignant and malignant cervical tissue. Arch Gynecol Obstet 255, 73–79 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02391801
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02391801