Nucleolar organizing regions in human papillomavirus infection and in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

The Ag-NOR staining technique for nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs) was applied to 37 biopsies of the uterine cervix taken from colposcopically abnormal areas. Histological examination of the sections showed that 13 patients had condylomatous lesions without atypia, 15 had CIN I, 4 had CIN II, 3 had CIN III and 2 carcinoma in situ. The mean numbers of Ag-NORs in parabasal and basal cells of squamous epithelium increased progressively from CIN I to CIN III-CIS. There was no significant difference between the Ag-NOR count in condylomatous lesions and CIN I. Significant differences were found between the number of Ag-NORs in condylomatous lesions and in the various grades of CIN. The Ag-NOR technique is useful in the diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and confirms the need to regard condylomata of the uterine cervix as intraepithelial neoplasia grade I and recommend these patients for follow-up.