Histoenzymological study on desquamative cervico-vaginal cells

Dihydrofolate dehydrogenase activity was histochemically investigated comparatively to the activities of 6-phosphogluconate, glucose-6-phosphate, malate and lactate dehydrogenases, NADH-2-tetrazolium dehydrogenase, esterases, beta-glucuronidase and leucyl aminopeptidase in smears of desquamative cervico-vaginal cells of negative and positive Papanicolaou classes. Dihydrofolate dehydrogenase was found active in a greater percentage of cells and stronger in individual cells of cervical carcinoma than in normal, inflammatory or dysplastic cervix uteri. The other enzymes activities were less specifically increased in dyskaryotic cells.