Expression of tubulin, p53, ki67, receptors for estrogen, and progesterone in endometrial cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed at investigating by immunohistochemistry the relationship between tubulin and histological features of tumors, estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), expression of p53, and Ki67 in a series of 84 primary untreated endometrial cancer patients.


METHODS
Immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin-embedded sections by using rabbit polyclonal antiserum against human class III beta-tubulin, anti-ER, anti-PR, anti Ki67 and p53 monoclonal antibodies.


RESULTS
Expression of class III beta-tubulin in proliferative phase endometrium was significantly higher than that in the secretory phase (X2 = 5.49, p value = 0.029). There was no difference in the distribution of tubulin positive cases between normal endometrium and endometrial carcinoma (X2 = 0.46, p value > 0.05). The immunostaining pattern of tubulin did not correlate with age, clinical stage, histological grade, depth of invasion, or expression of p53, Ki67, ER, and PR. Expression of ER and PR correlated with histological grade. Expression of p53 and Ki67 correlated with clinical stage and histological grade.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that class III beta-tubulin plays an important role during the normal biological processes of endometrium. It seems that tubulin has no prognostic value in endometrial carcinoma.
Zhu
C
C
Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Luo
J
J
Shi
H
H
Xie
X
X
Ding
Z
Z
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; C498585:TUBB3 protein, human; D014404:Tubulin; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D011374:Progesterone