Expression of the cell-cycle regulatory proteins (cyclins D1 and E) in endometrial carcinomas: correlations with hormone receptor status, proliferating indices, tumor suppressor gene products (p53, pRb), and clinicopathological parameters.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of cyclins D1 and E in normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic endometrium, and their correlation with proliferative activity and clinicopathological features.


METHODS
We carried out immunohistochemical techniques on archived material of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues using the antibodies against the cyclins D1 and E, PR-ER, p53, Ki67 (MIB1) and pRb with the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method in a total of 20 cases of normal endometrium, 32 cases of hyperplastic endometrium and 66 cases of endometrial carcinomas.


RESULTS
Cyclin D1 and E immunoreactivity was observed in the nuclei of tumour cells in 18.2% and 39.1%, respectively, of the cases of endometrial carcinomas. Cyclin D1 labelling index was not significantly correlated with any of the clinicopathologic parameters examined. However, there was a significant correlation between the cyclin E labelling index and histological grade of carcinoma (p = 0.00096), which increased significantly with histological grades of malignancy. We also detected a significant correlation between cyclin E and PCNA (p < 0.0001) as well as with the tumor suppressor genes p53 and pRb (p = 0.052 and 0.0002, respectively) in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that cyclin E overexpression may be involved in the development and/or proliferation and differentiation of human endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. Immunoexpression of cyclin D1 does not appear to be associated with cell-cycle progression in the benign or malignant endometrium.
Mitselou
A
A
Department of Forensic Pathology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Greece.
Ioachim
E
E
Zagorianakou
N
N
Kitsiou
E
E
Vougiouklakis
T
T
Agnantis
N J
NJ
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D019927:Cyclin E / Q000378:metabolism*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
D019927:Cyclin E; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019938:Cyclin D1