title: Inhibin/activin-betaC subunit does not represent a prognostic parameter in human endometrial cancer.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Käufl
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kunze
authors.forename: Naim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shabani
authors.forename: Ansgar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brüning
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friese
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mylonas
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: C504186:INHBC protein, human; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits