title: Lipocalin-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression in high-grade endometrial cancer and their prognostic value.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) immunohistochemical expression together with matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) protein in high-grade endometrial cancer and determine their correlations with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage, histological subtype, presence of vascular invasion, patient age and overall and disease-free survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical staining was performed using LCN-2 and MMP-9 antibodies on high-grade endometrial cancer (n = 85) diagnosed at Split University Hospital Centre during 1998-2010. Immunohistochemical expression was determined on archived paraffin-embedded samples and scored semiquantitatively. Survival time was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to assess between-group differences. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used on multivariate survival analysis. Patients were followed from the time of primary surgery until death or last follow-up until December 2012. LCN-2 and MMP-9 were highly expressed in high-grade endometrial cancer. Univariate analysis showed positive immunohistochemical staining for LCN-2 and MMP-9 to be associated with shorter survival in patients with high-grade endometrial cancer. Multivariate analysis showed LCN-2 overexpression to be associated with shorter overall and disease-free survival in high-grade endometrial cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that LCN-2 expression may be an important independent indicator of shorter survival in patients with high-grade endometrial cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Split University Hospital Center, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srdelić Mihalj
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Split University Hospital Center, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kuzmić-Prusac
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Split University Hospital Center, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zekić-Tomaš
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Cytology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Šamija-Projić
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Split University Hospital Center, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Čapkun
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C579270:MMP9 protein, human; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9
keywords: endometrial cancer; lipocalin-2; matrix metalloproteinase-9; survival