title: The expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and c-Met in uterine serous carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor c-Met plays an important role in tumor dissemination by activating mitogenic signaling pathways. The goal of this study was to investigate immunohistochemical (IHC) staining patterns of HGF and c-Met in endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC) and uterine serous cancer (USC) and to correlate staining with patient outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A tissue microarray was created using tissue from patients with atrophic endometrium (AE), grade 1 EC, grade 3 EC, and USC. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect c-Met, phosphorylated c-Met (p-c-Met), and HGF expression. Differences between IHC staining intensity were calculated using t-tests. Correlations between staining and clinicopathologic variables were determined by Chi-square testing for categorical variables and t-tests for continuous variables. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to analyze survival in USC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with cancer had more total c-Met and HGF expression than those with AE (p=0.037, p<0.001 respectively), but no difference in p-c-Met staining. Total c-Met and HGF staining was significantly different between groups (p=0.042, p<0.001 respectively). This difference was accounted for by greater c-MET expression in USC compared to AE (p=0.027). Depth of invasion, stage, and lymph node status were not significantly related to staining intensity. Patients with strong c-Met and HGF staining had decreased overall survival compared to patients with weaker staining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HGF and c-Met may play a role in the progression of endometrial cancer and should be studied further as prognostic and therapeutic tools.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Section of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Erin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Ernst R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Lengyel
authors.forename: S Diane
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montag
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Temkin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010766:Phosphorylation; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; C080835:RON protein; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases