Dysplastic and Malignant Disorders of the Cervix Flashcards
T/F: HPV is necessary for the development of cervical neoplasia, but not alone sufficient in causing these disorders.
True: necessary, but other co-factors needed
What are the 2 major factors associated with development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer?
(1) HPV types
(2) age and persistence
What are the 2 low-risk types of HPV?
6 and 11
What are the 2 high-risk types of HPV? And which type is more prevalent in squamous cell carcinoma?
16 and 18; 16 more prevalent in squamous cell carcinoma
The likelihood of HPV persistence is related to what 3 factors?
(1) older age (>55yrs)
(2) duration of infection: longer the infection has been recognized, the longer it will take to clear
(3) high oncogenic HPV subtypes (more likely to persist than low oncogenic types)
What is the transformation zone (T-zone)?
The border b/w the stratified squamous epithelium of the ectocervix and the columnar epithelium of the endocervix
What is the T-zone regarded as?
The site of carcinogenesis by infection w/oncogenic subtypes of HPV
What is the significance of the T-zone?
Cervical neoplasia originates w/in the T-zone
What is the difference between neoplastic transformation and active HPV infection?
Neoplastic transformation: the virus can persist in the cytoplasm and integrate into the host genome
Active infection: HPV undergoes replication, but not integration into the genome
What is an important factor in the early stages following HPV infection?
The individual’s susceptibility to oncogenic HPV types, which is determined by the host’s immune system
What are 4 cofactors in the pathogenesis of HPV?
(1) immunosuppression
(2) cigarette smoking: breakdown products of cigarette smoke are concentrated in cervical mucus causing cellular abnormalities in cervical epithelium and a dec in local immunity
(3) herpes and chlamydia
(4) oral contraceptives
What does E6 RNA do?
Prevents p53 from making damaged cells commit suicide
What does E7 RNA do?
Binds to Rb and prevents it from stopping damaged cells from growing
What is ASC-US?
Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance
What is ASC-H?
Atypical squamous cells: cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion