title: Kit gene in endometrial carcinoma: an immunohistochemical and mutational analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  : Because the outcome of recurrent disease of endometrial carcinoma is cumbersome, the development of target treatment strategies is critical. We evaluated KIT, a receptor tyrosine kinase, to determine a potential role for imatinib mesylate in the treatment of endometrial carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  : Immunohistochemical analysis for KIT expression was performed on paraffin sections from 45 patients: 30 primary and 15 recurrent tumors. Fifteen primary cases were available for mutation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  : Histopathological distribution of paraffin-embedded tissue was as follows: 30 type I and 15 type II endometrial carcinoma. Histopathological distribution of fresh-frozen tissue was as follows: 8 type I and 7 type II. Cases did not show KIT expression or mutations in mutational hotspot exons of KIT gene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  : On the basis of the absence of KIT expression or mutations, endometrial carcinoma is unlikely to respond to imatinib mesylate.
authors.affiliation: Leuven Cancer Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vandenput
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debiec-Rychter
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capoen
authors.forename: Godelieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Verbist
authors.forename: Ignace
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vergote
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moerman
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amant
mesh_terms: D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit