Inhibin/activin-betaC subunit does not represent a prognostic parameter in human endometrial cancer.
BACKGROUND
Inhibins, dimeric peptide hormones composed of an α subunit and one of two possible β subunits (betaA or betaB), exhibit substantial roles in human reproduction and in endocrine-responsive tumors. Recently, two novel inhibin-beta subunits, defined as betaC and betaE, have been identified in humans. However, the prognostic significance and clinical implications of the novel inhibin-betaC subunit in endometrial cancers is still quite unclear.


METHODS
A series of 296 uterine endometrial carcinomas were immunohistochemically analyzed with specific antibody against the inhibin-betaC subunit. The staining reactions were correlated with several clinicopathological characteristics and the clinical outcome.


RESULTS
Endometrial cancer tissue demonstrated an immunolabelling against the inhibin-betaC subunit. The inhibin-betaC expression in endometrial carcinoma samples revealed a significant association with hemangiosis. However, the expression of this inhibin subunit did not affect patients' progression-free, cause-specific and overall survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, inhibin-betaC subunit was demonstrated in endometrial cancer tissue. This novel betaC subunit demonstrated a significant association with hemangiosis although without any impact on the patients' survival. Moreover, the inhibin-betaC subunits did not constitute an independent prognostic parameter in endometrial cancer patients. Therefore, the isolated analysis of this subunit might be of minor prognostic value in identifying high-risk patients.
Käufl
Stefanie D
SD
1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
Kuhn
Christina
C
Kunze
Susanne
S
Shabani
Naim
N
Brüning
Ansgar
A
Friese
Klaus
K
Mylonas
Ioannis
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis
C504186:INHBC protein, human; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits