PINCH protein expression in normal endometrium, atypical endometrial hyperplasia and endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Particularly interesting new cysteine-histidine rich protein (PINCH), as an adapter protein of the LIM family for signal transduction in the integrin and growth factor pathway, is upregulated in the stroma of several common types of cancers and involved in promoting tumor progression. In the present study, we examined PINCH expression in normal endometrium, atypical endometrial hyperplasia and endometrioid carcinoma, and further studied the relationships of PINCH expression with clinicopathological variables in cancer patients.


METHODS
PINCH expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in 23 normal endometrial samples, 18 atypical endometrial hyperplasias and 48 endometrioid endometrial carcinomas.


RESULTS
The PINCH expression in the stroma of cancer (71%) was significantly increased compared to either normal endometrium (17%, p < 0.0001) or atypical hyperplasia (39%, p = 0.017), along with 9 cancers that had stronger PINCH expressions at the invasive margin of the cancers compared to the inner cancers. PINCH expression in cancer was higher in the patients with hypertension (p = 0.041) and estrogen exposure time >30 years (p = 0.021). On the other hand, PINCH expression was not related to menopausal status, gravid status, blood sugar/lipid, family background of cancer, histological grade, myometrial invasion, cervical involvement, lymph nodal metastases, growth pattern, estrogen and progestogen receptors (p > 0.05). conclusion: The results suggest that PINCH seems to play a role, presently unknown, in the tumorigenesis and development of endometrial cancer that merits further study.
Zhang
Hong-Zhen
HZ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Li
Xue-Hui
XH
Zhang
Xia
X
Zhang
Zhi-Yong
ZY
Meng
Ya-Li
YL
Xu
Shu-Wen
SW
Zheng
Yan
Y
Zhu
Zhen-Long
ZL
Cui
Dong-Sheng
DS
Huang
Li-Xia
LX
Yan
Bao-Yong
BY
Sun
Xiao-Feng
XF
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D055815:Young Adult
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004967:Estrogens; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; C088088:LIMS1 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins