FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY OF NEUTROPHILS IN CUTANEOUS AND MUCOSAL LESIONS OF CERVIX UTERI, ASSOCIATED WITH PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION

Abstract

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) infection are considered as a triggering factor of cervical neoplastic events (e.g., CIN) and are responsible for many cutaneous and mucosal lesions of cervix uteri. CIN commonly emerges from benign cervical tissue changes. There is clear evidence that local immune response in reproductive system plays a major role in the control and course of benign cervical tissue changes. Neutrophils play main role in encountering pathogens, primary antigen reactions and mediate powerful inflammatory effects. They are involved into development of antitumor response. The main purpose of our investigation was to study some indexes of neutrophil functional activity in women with CIN II-III associated with HPV-infection. It was shown that considerable changes in functional activity of neutrophils in mucous cervical secretions from women with CIN II-III, as compared to patients with chronic inflammation, accompanied by benign cervical changes (cervical ectopia). The alterations of neutrophil functional activity in women with CIN II-III may sustain a local chronic inflammation, associated with HPV-infection, thus increasing probability and predicting a of higher-grade tumor disease.