Cytochemical assay of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in koilocytes

New cervical smears were obtained from 24 patients with a cytologic diagnosis of typical condyloma for a cytochemical assay of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity in the koilocytes that are pathognomonic of this lesion. The smears were air dried and were processed according to Nachlas' modified technique. The controls used were smears from normal cases (which show no G6PDH activity), from dysplasias (which show high levels) and from carcinomas (which show very high G6PDH levels). In the cases of typical condyloma studied, the level of G6PDH was null in 16 (66.7%), very low in 2 (8.3%) and low in 6 (25.0%). If this assay for G6PDH gives the total enzymatic activity of the cell, showing low enzymatic levels in condylomas and high enzymatic levels in dysplasias and carcinomas, an increase in G6PDH activity could indicate the transition of an intraepithelial lesion from condyloma to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.