title: Inhibin-alpha, -betaA and -betaB subunits in uterine non-endometrioid carcinomas: prognostic significance and clinical implications.
abstract: Inhibins, dimeric peptide hormones composed of an alpha-subunit and one of two possible beta-subunits (betaA or betaB), exhibit substantial roles in human reproduction and in endocrine-responsive tumours. However, the prognostic significance and clinical implications of the inhibin-alpha, -betaA and -betaB subunits in uterine non-endometrioid cancers are still quite unclear. A series of 41 uterine non-endometrioid carcinomas were immunohistochemically analysed with monoclonal antibodies against inhibin-subunits. The staining reactions were correlated with several clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcome. The inhibin-alpha subunit showed a significant association with age although the loss of this subunit did not affect the survival of patients with non-endometrioid carcinomas and did not constitute an independent prognostic parameter. The inhibin-betaA expression was not associated with any of the analysed clinicopathological parameters and did not affect patients' survival. In contrast, a low betaB-subunit demonstrated a significant better cause-specific survival. Moreover, inhibin-betaB did constitute an independent prognostic parameter in uterine non-endometrioid cancer patients. In contrast to inhibin-alpha and -betaA subunits, the inhibin-betaB subunit seems to have a substantial role in the carcinogenesis and pathology of uterine non-endometrioid carcinomas and might be used as a marker to identify high-risk patients and may aid in the selection of patients for a more aggressive adjuvant therapy.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany. ioannis.mylonas@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mylonas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits / Q000378:metabolism*; D007265:Inhibins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C422402:INHBB protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C103008:inhibin beta A subunit; C094377:inhibin-alpha subunit; D007265:Inhibins; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits