Characteristics of the Quantitative Dynamics of Immunocompetent Cells in the Structure of the Cervix Epithelial Layer in Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

Malignancy in the cervix mucous membrane often develops in the junction zone of the ectocervix to the endocervix, which is the area of transformation of the stratified squamous epithelium into a single-layer cylindrical epithelium. The reasons for the insufficiency of immune protection in the transition zone of the epithelium from multilayer to single-layer cylindrical at the present stage do not have exhaustive explanations. Employing the method of immune histochemistry for the localization of immunocompetent cells identification was established by the dynamics of quantitative changes in CD-positive cells pool in the structure of cervix mucous membrane of women in the postmenopausal period from 1 to 5 years. A decrease in the number of CD-positive cells in all parts of the cervical mucous membrane was established in studied phenotypes: CD4, CD8, CD68, and CD163. Differences in the immune representation in the structure of the mucous membrane of the exocervix, the place of transition of the exocervix to the endocervix and endocervix were established. The reasons for the differences in the barrier protection of the epithelium, the authors associate with a greater microbial load of the exocervix, as well as relative immunodeficiency in comparison with other parts of the mucous membrane of the cervix, and an imbalance in the system for ensuring the plasticity of keratocytes in the transition zone of the exocervix to the endocervix with necrohormones and caylons.