S Sarmadi, N Izadimood,
Volume 66, Issue 5 (8-2008)
Abstract
Background: Endometrial carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract. Different molecular alterations have been described in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma that, the most frequently altered gene is mutations of PTEN. Up to 50-83% of endometrioid carcinoma reveal altered PTEN characterized by loss of expression. In endometrial hyperplasia, which are precursors of endometrioid carcinoma, loss of PTEN expression is 30-63%.
Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 90 cases of endometrial curettage including: 30 proliferative endometrium, 30 hyperplastic endometrium and 30 endometroid carcinoma. Immunohistochemical specimens were graded semiquatitatively by considering the percentage of staining with two cut-point 10% & 50% on the whole section for each specimen.
Results: loss of PTEN expression was observed 0%, 0%, 30% of 51.7% in proliferative, simple hyperplasia, complex hyperplasia and endometrioid carcinoma respectively with cut-point 10% and 0%, 5.3%, 30%, 52.2% in endometrioid carcinoma respectively with cut-point 50%. Also there was no difference in PTEN expression between atypical complex hyperplasia and endometrioid carcinoma but there was significant difference between simple hyperplasia and proliferative with endometrioid carcinoma & atypical complex hyperplasia.
Conclusion: These results show loss of PTEN expression in endmetrioid carcinoma and no differences between endometrioid carcinoma and atypical complex hyperplasia. Therefore, assessment of PTEN expression by negative immunostaining and matched with routine hematoxylin and eosin stained can be a new tool for diagnosis of endometrioid carcinoma.
