METHOD FOR DETECTING CARCINOGENESIS IN THE UTERINE CERVIX

摘要

The invention concerns some methods for diagnosing cancer of the uterine cervix (or extra-uterine) which integrate or surrogate the field of action of cytology with that of molecular biology, and provide a system for diagnosis, prognosis and management of HPV-induced cervical lesions (or extra-uterine) which exploit, in particular, the analytical methods of Western Blot and Sandwich ELISA in order to detect those cases where the transformation towards a neoplastic lesion has become irreversible. The methods consist in detecting, in samples of cells taken from the squamous-columnar junction of the uterine cervix of a patient under examination, the proteins encoded by viral oncogenes E6 and E7 and those encoded by the tumor suppressor genes of the host cell p53 and pRB, and in detecting by Western Blot and/or by Sandwich ELISA the possible interaction between proteins E6 and p53, and between proteins E7 and pRb, as an index of irreversible transformation towards a neoplastic lesion.

主权项

1. A method for detecting a neoplastic cell transformation induced by human Papillomavirus (HPV) in women undergoing a screening for uterine cervix carcinoma, comprising detecting, in samples of cells taken from the squamous-columnar junction of the cervix epithelium of a patient being examined, the presence of a protein complex E6/p53 made by the protein E6 with the protein p53 and/or a protein complex E7/pRB made by the protein E7 with the protein pRB, wherein the detection of said two protein complexes shows that in the patient under examination the carcinogenesis has become irreversible, said detection being performed by the combined use of antibodies anti-protein E6 and antibodies anti-protein E7.