title: Expression of leptin receptor in endometrial biopsies of endometrial and ovarian cancer patients.
abstract: The adipokine leptin plays a critical role in the regulation of reproductive function and there has been growing interest in its potential role in the development of cancers in which obesity is an established risk factor. Serum leptin levels were found to be higher in patients diagnosed with endometrial and ovarian cancer compared to those observed in healthy individuals. This study was conducted to determine the expression of the leptin receptor (Ob-R) in endometrial biopsies of patients diagnosed with endometrial and ovarian cancer. In this preliminary study, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the color deconvolution method were used to assess the expression levels of the Ob-R protein in three groups of endometrial tissue: one from patients diagnosed with endometrioid endometrial carcinoma, one from patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer and one from individuals without any diagnosed gynecologic disease (control group). Our results demonstrated that the highest expression of Ob-R protein in endometrial biopsies was detected in the ovarian cancer group (P=0.000). This finding suggests that changes in Ob-R expression may be assessed through the measurement of the optical density of endometrial biopsies and may become a useful tool in preventive screening, particularly for ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Public Health and Nutrition, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64460, Mexico ; Division of Genetics, Northeast Biomedical Research Center, Mexican Social Security Institute, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64720, Mexico.
authors.forename: Luis Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Méndez-López
authors.affiliation: Division of Genetics, Northeast Biomedical Research Center, Mexican Social Security Institute, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64720, Mexico.
authors.forename: Martha Imelda
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Dávila-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Medicina Diagnostica, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64460, Mexico.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zavala-Pompa
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64460, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Torres-López
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Public Health and Nutrition, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64460, Mexico.
authors.forename: Blanca Edelia
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: González-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Public Health and Nutrition, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64460, Mexico.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Cabanillas-Lomelí
keywords: endometrial cancer; endometrium; immunohistochemistry; leptin receptor; ovarian cancer