Intermediate cell markers for malignancy. Consistency of expression.

Studies of samples from a larger patient population confirmed the consistency of expression of the previously reported markers for malignancy in normal-appearing intermediate cervical cells in samples from patients with abnormal cytology (moderate dysplasia and severe dysplasia/carcinoma in situ). Based on samples of only 30 cells per case, a false-negative rate of 10% to 30% was estimated. The expression of the marker features thus provides a clear indication of uterine abnormal cytology; the lack of expression, however, does not entirely rule out the possibility of uterine abnormalities. The use of larger sample sizes and better staining protocols could further enhance the usefulness of marker feature studies in the prescreening for cancer.