ANALYSIS OF NUCLEOLAR ORGANIZER REGIONS (NORS) IN INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA AND CERVICAL CANCER

The Nucleolar Organizer Regions (NORs) are segments of DNA that encode ribosomal RNA, which is directly related to protein synthesis and cell proliferation. Using silver impregnation techniques proteins associated with NORs can be detected, being its amount proportional to the proliferative activity. This paper aims to analyze the AgNOR (argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions) in the progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN I, II, III) and cervical cancer through silver-staining technique to the prognosis of these injuries. In order to do so, the silver-staining technique was applied in 20 histological cuts from biopsies of cervix included in paraffin (4 cases of squamous metaplasia with VPH, of 6 of NIC I, 3 of NIC II and 3 of NIC III and 7 of squamous cell carcinoma). The average number of AgNORs was determined for cell for each case, obtaining significant differences (P <0.05) in the averages of the AgNORs among the control groups, NIC I, NIC II y NIC III with the squamous cell carcinoma and among the control groups and NIC I with the NIC III. We determined the average number of AgNORs per cell for each case, obtaining significant differences (P <0.05) in the averages of AgNORs between the control groups, CIN I, II and III squamous cell carcinomas and between control and CIN I to CIN III. It was concluded that AgNORs can be used as a method of prognosis in cervical lesions and serve as a complement to morphological diagnosis.