title: Significance of progesterone receptor-A and -B expressions in endometrial adenocarcinoma.
abstract: The progesterone receptor (PR) has two isoforms, A and B, among which PR-B is mainly involved in regulating proliferation of the uterine endometrium. In this study, immunohistochemical analysis was carried out to investigate the correlation of PR-A and -B expressions with cell cycle-regulatory proteins and clinicopathological parameters in endometrial adenocarcinoma. One hundred and forty-one endometrioid adenocarcinomas [76 with well-differentiated (G1), 35 with moderately differentiated (G2) and 30 with poorly differentiated (G3)] were used. Specimens of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue were immunohistochemically stained using the high polymer method (HISTOFINE, NICHIREI). The percentage of positive nuclei of tumor cells observed in three high power fields was expressed as a labeling index (LI). PR-B expression significantly occurred more frequently in G1. It was inversely correlated with p53 gene mutation and p53 over expression, and also with clinicopathological variables, including myometrial and lymph-vascular space invasion and the FIGO stage. Patients with negative PR-B had a poorer prognosis than positive cases. PR-A expression was also significantly higher in G1 and was inversely correlated with Ki-67 expression and myometrial invasion, but not with prognosis. PR-A and -B expressions were significantly correlated with biologically malignant potential. Especially, PR-B expression is useful as a prognostic indicator of endometrial adenocarcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Cytology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara 228-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Toshiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jobo
authors.forename: Miwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuramoto
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011379:Prognosis; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C101118:progesterone receptor A; C097314:progesterone receptor B