[Immunohistochemical study of cytokeratin and vimentin expression in mixed type of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma].

To clarify the pattern of cytokeratin and vimentin expression in mixed adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, twenty-three cases of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimen were examined immunohistochemically using a panel of four different monoclonal anti-cytokeratin antibodies and anti-vimentin antibody. Fifty-seven cases of benign or malignant tissue were selected for controls. The results were summarized as follows. 1) In four cases of co-existing adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, their immunostaining patterns were compatible with original histological cell type. 2) In four cases of adenoacanthoma, high molecular weight-cytokeratin (HCK) was positive in each acanthomatous component and only a small part of one adenocarcinomatous component. 3) In twelve cases of cervical adenosquamous carcinoma, HCK were positive in four adenocarcinomatous components. Out of eight cases with non-stained adenocarcinomatous components, six cases showed negativity for HCK even in the squamous cell carcinomatous component. 4) Though vimentin was negative in all cases of mixed type of cervical carcinoma, some cases of mixed type endometrial carcinoma were stained positively for vimentin. It was indicated from our study that adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix could originate either in reserve cells or columunar epithelium and that vimentin positive cases could originate in the endometorial gland.