Use of monoclonal antibody MIB-1 in differential diagnosis of uterine cervical glandular neoplasm

This study was undertaken to evaluate the significance of MIB-1 immunoreactivity in the discrimination of differential diagnosis of benign cervical lesion, endocervical glandular dysplasia, and endocervical adenocarcinoma on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. Fifty-two cases were selected from the pathology files of Korea University Hospital from 1994 to 1998 and were composed of 25 cases of endocervical adenocarcinoma, including three cases in which squamous cell carcinoma coexists; six cases of endocervical glandular dysplasia associated with squamous cell carcinoma or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN); and 21 cases of chronic endocervicitis. Immunohistochemical staining for MIB-1 was performed after microwave treatment on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. MIB-1 expression was evaluated according to the labeling indexes. The labeling indexes were calculated for 52 specimens by means of image analysis (Quantification of Proliferation Index). The results are as follows; There was diffuse strong MIB-1 reactivity in endocervical adenocarcinoma (labeling index 37.6-61.4%, mean 54.9%), moderate spotty reactivity in endocervical glandular dysplasia (labeling index 27.9-42.6%, mean 35.1%), and minimal to focal reactivity in chronic endocervicitis (labeling index 0-24.4%, mean 5.2%). Significant differences in MIB-1 labeling indexes existed among the chronic endocervicitis group, the endocervical glandular dysplasia group, and endocervical adenocarcinoma group. In conclusion, MIB-1 immunostaining is of value in the differential diagnosis among benign cervical lesions, endocervical glandular dysplasia, and endocervical adenocarcinoma.