Inhibin/activin-betaC subunit in human endometrial adenocarcinomas and HEC-1a adenocarcinoma cell line.
BACKGROUND
Inhibins and activins are important regulators of the female reproductive system. Recently, two novel inhibin subunits, named betaC (βC) and betaE (βE), have been identified. However, only limited data on the expression of the βC subunit in human endometrioid adenocarcinomas exist.


METHODS
Samples of uterine endometrioid adenocarcinomas were obtained and analysed by immunohistochemistry for the immunolabelling with an inhibin-βC antibody. Additionally, the endometrial cancer cell line HEC-1a was used to assess the inhibin-betaC expression with the use of immunofluorescence.


RESULTS
Expression of the inhibin-βC subunit was demonstrated at the protein level by means of immunohistochemical evaluation in human endometrioid adenocarcinomas and the HEC-1a cell line.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated, for the first time, that the novel inhibin/activin-βC subunit is expressed in human endometrioid adenocarcinomas and in the human endometrial carcinoma cell line HEC-1a. Whether this novel β-subunit has a substantial role in the pathogenesis and malignant transformation in human endometrium is still under investigation.
Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maistrasse 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
Stephanie D
SD
Käufl
Josef
J
Makovitzky
Christina
C
Kuhn
Susanne
S
Kunze
Udo
U
Jeschke
Ioannis
I
Mylonas
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
C504186:INHBC protein, human; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits