Epithelial membrane protein-2 expression is an early predictor of endometrial cancer development.
BACKGROUND
Endometrial cancer (EC) is a common malignancy worldwide. It is often preceded by endometrial hyperplasia, whose management and risk of neoplastic progression vary. Previously, the authors have shown that the tetraspan protein epithelial membrane protein-2 (EMP2) is a prognostic indicator for EC aggressiveness and survival. Here the authors validate the expression of EMP2 in EC, and further examine whether EMP2 expression within preneoplastic lesions is an early prognostic biomarker for EC development.


METHODS
A tissue microarray (TMA) was constructed with a wide representation of benign and malignant endometrial samples. The TMA contains a metachronous cohort of cases from individuals who either developed or did not develop EC. Intensity and frequency of EMP2 expression were assessed using immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
There was a stepwise, statistically significant increase in the average EMP2 expression from benign to hyperplasia to atypia to EC. Furthermore, detailed analysis of EMP2 expression in potentially premalignant cases demonstrated that EMP2 positivity was a strong predictor for EC development.


CONCLUSIONS
EMP2 is an early predictor of EC development in preneoplastic lesions. In addition, combined with our previous findings, these results validate EMP2 as a novel biomarker for EC development.
Habeeb
Omar
O
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Goodglick
Lee
L
Soslow
Robert A
RA
Rao
Rajiv G
RG
Gordon
Lynn K
LK
Schirripa
Osvaldo
O
Horvath
Steve
S
Braun
Jonathan
J
Seligson
David B
DB
Wadehra
Madhuri
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D039621:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
C105988:EIF3A protein, human; C486403:EMP2 protein, human; D039621:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-3; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins