Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview
Recent literature data are presented concerning micronuclei (MN) frequency in exfoliated cells of cervix cancer patients. These data strongly support a positive correlation between the MN level and malignization (changes from premalignant stage to cancer). It is suggested that the evaluation of freq...
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| Cite this: | Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview / A.K. Nersesyan // Цитология и генетика. — 2007. — Т. 41, № 5. — С. 64-66. — Бібліогр.: 16 назв. — англ. |
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irk-123456789-665962014-07-19T03:01:42Z Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview Nersesyan, A.K. Обзорные статьи Recent literature data are presented concerning micronuclei (MN) frequency in exfoliated cells of cervix cancer patients. These data strongly support a positive correlation between the MN level and malignization (changes from premalignant stage to cancer). It is suggested that the evaluation of frequency of MN in exfoliated cervical cells may be an additional criterion for establishing cervical cancer risk and the study of MN in cervix smears will increase the sensitivity and specificity of cytology which could impact in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervical cancer. Представлены литературные данные последних лет об уровне микроядер (МЯ) в эксфолиативных клетках шейки матки. Эти данные свидетельствуют о положительной корелляции между уровнем МЯ и озлокачествлением (изменениями от предопухолевого состояния к опухоли). На основании представленных данных предположено, что повышенный уровень МЯ в эксфолиативных клетках шейки матки является дополнительным прогностическим фактором в диагностике рака шейки матки. Изучение МЯ в мазках, полученных с шейки матки, может повысить чувствительность и специфичность цитологических исследований, а также повлиять на диагностику и вторичную профилактику рака этой локализации. Наведено літературні дані останніх років щодо рівня мікроядер (МЯ) в ексфоліативних клітинах шийки матки. Ці дані свідчать про позитивну кореляцію між рівнем МЯ та виникненням злоякісності (зміни від передпухлинного стану до пухлини). На підставі наведених даних можна припустити, що підвищений рівень МЯ в ексфоліативних клітинах шийки матки є додатковим прогностичним фактором у діагностиці рака шийки матки. Вивчення МЯ у мазках, що отримані з шийки матки, може підвищити чутливість та специфічність цитологічних досліджень, а також вплинути на діагностику і вторинну профілактику рака цієї локалізації. 2007 Article Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview / A.K. Nersesyan // Цитология и генетика. — 2007. — Т. 41, № 5. — С. 64-66. — Бібліогр.: 16 назв. — англ. 0564-3783 http://dspace.nbuv.gov.ua/handle/123456789/66596 ru Цитология и генетика Інститут клітинної біології та генетичної інженерії НАН України |
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Обзорные статьи Обзорные статьи Nersesyan, A.K. Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview Цитология и генетика |
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Recent literature data are presented concerning micronuclei (MN) frequency in exfoliated cells of cervix cancer patients. These data strongly support a positive correlation between the MN level and malignization (changes from premalignant stage to cancer). It is suggested that the evaluation of frequency of MN in exfoliated cervical cells may be an additional criterion for establishing cervical cancer risk and the study of MN in cervix smears will increase the sensitivity and specificity of cytology which could impact in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervical cancer. |
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Article |
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Nersesyan, A.K. |
| author_facet |
Nersesyan, A.K. |
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Nersesyan, A.K. |
| title |
Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview |
| title_short |
Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview |
| title_full |
Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview |
| title_fullStr |
Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview |
| title_sort |
possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview |
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Інститут клітинної біології та генетичної інженерії НАН України |
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2007 |
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Обзорные статьи |
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http://dspace.nbuv.gov.ua/handle/123456789/66596 |
| citation_txt |
Possible role of the micronucleus assay in diagnostics and secondary prevention of cervix cancer: a minireview / A.K. Nersesyan // Цитология и генетика. — 2007. — Т. 41, № 5. — С. 64-66. — Бібліогр.: 16 назв. — англ. |
| series |
Цитология и генетика |
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AT nersesyanak possibleroleofthemicronucleusassayindiagnosticsandsecondarypreventionofcervixcanceraminireview |
| first_indexed |
2025-07-05T16:49:04Z |
| last_indexed |
2025-07-05T16:49:04Z |
| _version_ |
1836826382558035968 |
| fulltext |
Recent literature data are presented concerning micronu�
clei (MN) frequency in exfoliated cells of cervix cancer
patients. These data strongly support a positive correlation
between the MN level and malignization (changes from pre�
malignant stage to cancer). It is suggested that the evaluation
of frequency of MN in exfoliated cervical cells may be an
additional criterion for establishing cervical cancer risk and
the study of MN in cervix smears will increase the sensitivity
and specificity of cytology which could impact in diagnostics
and secondary prevention of cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the second most common
cancer in women worldwide and the leading cause
of cancer mortality in women in developing coun�
tries [1]. In the United States, over $6 billion is spent
annually in the evaluation and treatment of low�
grade cervical lesions, many of which do not deve�
lope into full�blown cancer. In developing coun�
tries cervical cancer goes undetected because of
the cost of testing and the lack of resources and
trained personnel to screen and diagnose the dis�
ease [1]. The goal of one of the programs of the
National Cancer Institute is to assess the emerging
technologies of fluorescence and reflectance spec�
troscopy and quantitative cytology and histopathol�
ogy for the diagnosis of cervical cancer. All of these
technologies should decrease mortality, morbidity,
and the cost of treating cervical cancer.
Recently Leyden et al. [2] examined factors
associated with the diagnosis of cervical cancer
among women enrolled in health plans and con�
cluded that to reduce the incidence of invasive cer�
vical cancer, the Papanicolaou (Pap) cervical
cytology screening (which helps to reduce cervical
cancer rates through the detection of premalignant
lesions) should be improved. This test is of
extremely importance in cancer prevention.
Recent publication has shown that during first
18 months after the last negative screening Pap test
in women with > or = 3 prior negative tests, cancer
incidence increases to an estimated 4–5 per
100,000 woman�years in each of the subsequent
2 years [3].
It is well known that some specific human papil�
loma viruses (HPV) are associated with cancer and
dysplasia of cervix, penis, anus, vagina, and vulva
[4, 5]. These viruses selectively infect the epitheli�
um of skin and mucous membranes and it results
in numerical and structural chromosome aberra�
tions, chromosomal instability, increased aneu�
ploidy, and these events initiate cervical carcinogen�
esis. The micronucleus [fragment of chromosomes
and/or whole chromosome lagged in the mytosis]
assay (MN) can register both numerical and struc�
tural chromosomal aberrations, and MN can be
easily detected in exfoliated human cells [6, 7].
Since HPV infection induces cytogenetic instabil�
ity in cervix cells, it can be evaluated by means of
MN assay. Indeed, it has been shown that in exfo�
liated cervical cells of patients with moderate and
severe dysplasia a significantly higher frequency of
MN level was observed compared with healthy
women [8]. The same effect was shown by a group
64 ISSN 0564–3783. Цитология и генетика. 2007. № 5
A.K. NERSESYAN
Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna,
Vienna, Austria
E�mail: armen.nersesyan@meduniwien.ac.at; armenn@freenet.am
POSSIBLE ROLE OF THE
MICRONUCLEUS ASSAY IN
DIAGNOSTICS AND SECONDARY
PREVENTION OF CERVIX CANCER:
A MINIREVIEW
© A.K. NERSESYAN, 2007
of Mexican investigators – significantly increased
MN frequency in cervix cells of women with invasive
cancer and low� and high�grade squamous intra�
epithelial lesions [9]. A correlation between MN
frequency and grade of cervical lesion, and a posi�
tive linear trend between the MN frequency and
increased cervical cancer risk was also shown [9].
Moreover, a retrospective study was performed to
investigate the frequency of cells with MN in Pap
smears from patients, and a strong correlation was
observed between these two parameters – MN fre�
quency and grade of cervical lesions [10]. Appli�
cation of molecular cytogenetic technique (FISH)
supports this observation in 143 women [11].
The results obtained in Armenia (71 studied
patients in total) and India (55 studied patients)
are in agreement with the mentioned data – sub�
stantial increase in MN level in exfoliated cervix
cells of cervix cancer patients [12–16]. Gandhi
and Kaur found a correlation between the stage of
cancer and MN number in exfoliated cervical
cells. It is noteworthy, that they also found that
along with increase of MN level in cervix cells
urothelial cells MN increased [14–16]. Strong
correlation was registered between the mentioned
two parameters.
HPV DNA can be detected in 95 to 100 % of
cervical cancer specimens, and it has been called a
«necessary cause» of cervical cancer [4, 5]. Based
on the data obtained by numerous investigations,
one can propose that increased level of MN in
exfoliated cervical cells is a consequence of HPV
infection leading to cancer. And, hence, both HPV
infection (HPV DNA) and increased MN level in
cervix cells are «necessary causes» of displasia and
cervical cancer. It is of extremely importance that
in urothelial cells of women suffering from cancer
of cervix significantly increased number of MN
was also observed [16]. Based on the mentioned
data, some investigators [9,10, 14–16] proposed
that MN test in exfoliated cervix and urothelial
cells should be applied in mass�screening pro�
grams in developing countries based on high corre�
lation between the results in MN assay in exfoliat�
ed cervix cells and Pap test on one the hand, and a
correlation between cancer and increased MN
level in urothelial and cervix cells on the other.
It is of extremely importance that MN frequen�
cy depends on the stage of disease. In the study in
India the increment of cells with MN in the first
stage of cancer was 7�fold and at higher stages
11–14�fold higher compared with the level observed
in healthy females [16]. It has been shown that
MN level increased from the control level with the
progression of premalignant changes in the cervix
(2.4–3.2�fold [9] and 2.7–4.2�fold increase [10])
to cancer (4.7�fold [9] and 5.6–7.7�fold [10]
increase compared with appropriate control levels).
These data strongly support a positive correlation
between the MN incidence and cancer progress
(changes from premalignant stage to cancer).
According to aforementioned it may be sug�
gested that evaluation of the frequency of MN in
exfoliated cervical cells may be an additional crite�
rion for establishing cervical cancer risk and the
study of MN in Pap smears will increase the sensi�
tivity and specificity of cervical cytology which
could impact in diagnostics and secondary preven�
tion of cervical cancer.
РЕЗЮМЕ. Представлены литературные данные по�
следних лет об уровне микроядер (МЯ) в эксфолиатив�
ных клетках шейки матки. Эти данные свидетельствуют
о положительной корелляции между уровнем МЯ и
озлокачествлением (изменениями от предопухолевого
состояния к опухоли). На основании представленных
данных предположено, что повышенный уровень МЯ
в эксфолиативных клетках шейки матки является до�
полнительным прогностическим фактором в диагнос�
тике рака шейки матки. Изучение МЯ в мазках, полу�
ченных с шейки матки, может повысить чувствитель�
ность и специфичность цитологических исследований,
а также повлиять на диагностику и вторичную про�
филактику рака этой локализации.
РЕЗЮМЕ. Наведено літературні дані останніх ро�
ків щодо рівня мікроядер (МЯ) в ексфоліативних клі�
тинах шийки матки. Ці дані свідчать про позитивну
кореляцію між рівнем МЯ та виникненням злоякіс�
ності (зміни від передпухлинного стану до пухлини).
На підставі наведених даних можна припустити,
що підвищений рівень МЯ в ексфоліативних клітинах
шийки матки є додатковим прогностичним фактором
у діагностиці рака шийки матки. Вивчення МЯ у маз�
ках, що отримані з шийки матки, може підвищити
чутливість та специфічність цитологічних досліджень,
а також вплинути на діагностику і вторинну профі�
лактику рака цієї локалізації.
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Received 06.04.06
A.K. Nersesyan
66 ISSN 0564–3783. Цитология и генетика. 2007. № 5
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