The basement membrane of the uterine cervix in dysplasia and squamous carcinoma: an immunofluorescent study with antibodies to basement membrane antigen.

Histological preparations with normal epithelium, dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and squamous invasive carcinoma of human cervix were studied by immunofluorescence using human sera containing antibodies against basement membrane material, against intercellular substance of squamous epithelium (ISSE) and against reticulin. A continuous basement membrane was observed in normal epithelium dysplasia and carcinoma in situ, but was faintly stained, discontinuous or even absent in specimens with invasive squamous carcinoma. Staining with anti-reticulin did not reveal any condensation in the basement membrane areas in any of the preparations examined. ISSE was demonstrated in the normal epithelium, dysplasia and carcinoma in situ as well as in invasive carcinoma.