title: L-Carnitine: a new insight into the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aims to specify the role of L-carnitine in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer by comparing the serum total L-carnitine levels of endometrial cancer patients with those of healthy women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum total L-carnitine concentrations were measured in patients with endometrioid-type endometrial cancer (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 20) who were matched with respect to age and body mass index (BMI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stage I endometrial cancer was diagnosed in 12 women (60.0%) whereas three women (15.0%) had stage II disease, three women (15.0%) had stage III disease and two women (10.0%) had stage IV disease. The healthy controls and endometrial cancer patients were statistically similar in aspect of age, gravidity, parity, BMI, waist-to-thigh ratio, waist-to-hip ratio, menopause, complete blood count parameters, and serum biochemistry. Serum total L-carnitine levels of women with endometrial cancer were significantly lower than those of healthy women (respectively, 5,519.4 ± 2,712.5 vs 7,940.8 ± 3,566.6 ng/dl, p = 0.021). Moreover, serum total L-carnitine levels decreased significantly and progressively with advancing stage (stage I vs II vs III vs IV; 6,294.0 ± 2,885.1 vs 5,800.0 ± 441.2 vs 4,016.0 ± 2,833.3 vs 2,560.0 ± 67.9 ng/dl; p = 0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to hypothesize that L-carnitine deficiency participates in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer by means of a mechanism which is unrelated with obesity and increased amount of fat in human body.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Afyonkarahisar Kocatepe University, Marulcu Mah, Kadinana Cad. No: 22/4, 03200, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Dagistan Tolga
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Arioz
authors.forename: Mine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanat-Pektas
authors.forename: Nadire
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.forename: Tulay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koken
authors.forename: Bekir Serdar
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Unlu
authors.forename: Gulengul
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koken
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yilmazer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000150:complications; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine