title: Expression of estrogen receptors (α, β), cyclooxygenase-2 and aromatase in normal endometrium and endometrioid cancer of uterus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common malignancies of the female genital tract, but the etiology, especially its metabolism is still investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence and relative expression of Estrogen Receptors (α, β), Cyclooxygenase-2 and Aromatase in both endometrial cancer and normal mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two groups of women were selected for the study: 1) patients with endometrioid endometrial cancer (FIGO I; G1 - G3) (n=35) and 2) subjects with normal endometrial tissue (control group, n=29). The expression of Estrogen Receptors (ERα, β), Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), Aromatase were estimated by Western blot analysis. Furthermore, the associations between FIGO classification (stage: Ia, Ib), tumor grade (G) and expression of ERα, β, COX-2, aromatase proteins were evaluated. Overall and disease-free survival curves were generated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Median follow-up time of the patients examined in this study was 39 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relative expression of each examined protein was markedly higher in the endometrial cancer tissue as compared to the healthy endometrium. The trends towards greater expression along with a tumor progression was noticed (FIGO stage: Ia vs. Ib). Analysis of endometrial cancer risk factors and their influence on survival curves showed only an inverse significant correlations between obesity (BMI: 36.2; n=21) and disease-free survival in EC group (p=0.00872), but there was no significant association between obesity and overall survival (p=0.358).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endometrioid endometrial cancer shows relatively higher expression of either ER, COX-2 and aromatase comparing to healthy mucosa, suggesting their involvement in tumor development and progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. knapp@umb.edu.pl
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knapp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chabowski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Błachnio-Zabielska
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walentowicz-Sadłecka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grabiec
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Knapp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D001141:Aromatase; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human