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METAPLASIA IN ENDOCERVICAL TISSUE MAINTAINED IN ORGAN CULTURE–AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL
Author(s) -
Fink C. G.,
Thomas G. H.,
Allen J. M.,
Jordan J. A.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1973.tb02175.x
Subject(s) - squamous metaplasia , pathology , stromal cell , organ culture , epithelium , metaplasia , columnar cell , biology , malignancy , stroma , anatomy , in vitro , medicine , immunohistochemistry , biochemistry
Summary Endocervical columnar epithelium with stroma intact, was maintained in organ culture for up to ten days. Many explants showed a progressive dedifferentiation, pyknosis and eventual loss of columnar cells with a gradual replacement of these with metaplastic cells apparently of stromal origin. This was a progression of changes similar to squamous metaplasia seen in vivo . Studies of the surface characteristics of the cultured tissue, with the scanning electron microscope, showed a change of cell type from columnar cells with closely packed micro‐villi, to a flattened squamous type with interdigitating cell boundaries and a mixed surface structure of micro‐ridges and micro‐villi. The significance of these results and the use of this organ culture system as a model in the study of the actiology of cervical malignancy is discussed.