Microvessel density (MVD) was determined by counting the number of vessels plus immunoreactive endothelial cells per 200× high power field in the area

of the most intense vascularization (hot spot) of each tumor, and the average count was recorded. Figure 1 The grading of immunohistochemical staining for TFPI-2. Immunohistochemical staining of cervical tissues for selleck chemicals llc TFPI-2 (A-E). The immunostaining intensity was defined as grade 0 (no detectable staining, A), grade1 (weak staining, B), grade 2(clear but not so strong staining, C), grade 3 (more strong staining, D) and grade 4 (stronggest staining, E). The SB431542 ic50 nuclei were counterstained with hematoxylin blue. Image magnifications are 200×. Statistical analysis Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 17.0 program package. Mean values were compared with unpaired Student’s t-test or one-way ANOVA analysis, and categorical variables were compared with Fisher’s Exact Test. The Chi-square linear trend test was used to check for correlation SB202190 order between TFPI-2 positive expression

and clinicopathologic factors. The Spearman’s correlation test was used to analyze consistency level between TFPI-2 and AI, PI, VEGF or MVD. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to analyze the association between the intensity of TFPI-2 immunoexpression and HPV infection. For the sake of statistical convenience, the positive results of -, +, ++, +++ and ++++ were scored as 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4. Two sided P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results Patient characteristics

Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 128 pathological cervical neoplasms, including 48 CIN and 68 ICC, and along with 12 normal squamous epithelial specimens. Patient characteristics were presented in Table 1. Table 1 Clinical and pathological characteristics Characteristics Number of cases (%) Range 22-71(years) Average 43 (years) Samples   normal squamous epithelial specimens 12 (9.4) cervical intraepithelial neoplasms (CIN) 48(37.5)    CIN I 21 (43.7)    CIN II/III 27(56.3) invasive CC(ICC) 68(53.1)    well-differentiated(WICC) 13(19.1)    moderately differentiated(MICC) 39(57.4)    poorly differentiated(PICC) 16(23.5) Histology      Squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) 61(89.7)    Adenosquamous cell carcinoma(ACC) dipyridamole 7(10.3) Figo stage      Ia 9(13.2)    Ib 28(41.2)    IIa 21(30.9)    IIb 10(14.7) Lymph nodes metastasis(LN)      Absent 51(75)    Present 17(25) HPV infection      Absent 38(29.7)    Present 90(70.3) Expression of TFPI-2 in cervical neoplasms We observed TFPI-2 was expressed only in the cytoplasm of the cervical tissues. All normal squamous epithelial cells showed potent immunostaining for cytoplasmic TFPI-2 (Figure 2A), while the staining for cytoplasmic TFPI-2 was lower in ICC (Figure 2D). In CIN, the immunostaining of cytoplasmic TFPI-2 was clear but not so strongly observed. Cytoplasmic TFPI-2 immunostaining in CIN I was potent (Figure 2B), while that in CIN II and III was weak (Figure 2C).