ABSTRACT
Background: Endometrioid carcinoma and clear cell carcinoma of the ovary are associated to endometriosis. Somatic mutations of PTEN (10q23.3) are present in endometrial endometrioid carcinoma. Therefore, these mutations could be also present in ovarian tumors. Molecular studies show that solitary endometriotic cysts are monoclonal, have aneuploid DNA, have a loss of 9p,11q and 22q heterozygosity (LOH) and a higher cellular proliferation index of the epithelial component. Aim: To determine the cellular proliferation index using Ki 67, the immunohistochemical expression of PTEN and LOH in patients with ovarian endometriosis without atypia (EN), ovarian endometriosis with atypia (EA) and endometriosis with adjacent ovarian carcinoma (ET). Material and methods: Paraffin embedded samples of 37 endometrioid and clear cell carcinomas of the ovary (CC/CE), 15 solitary ovarian EN and 15 ovarian EA, were studied. Expression of Ki 67 and PTEN was measured by immunohistochemistry. LOH of 10q23.3 locus was measured by polymerase chain reaction. Results: Ki 67 was 5.5 and 2.3% in EA and EN, respectively (p <0.005). There was a histological correlation between EA and a higher cellular proliferation index. PTEN was negative in 5 of 15 EN, 9 of 15 EA and 30 of 37 CE/CC. There was a correlation between LOH and loss of PTEN protein in EN, EA and ET (60%). Conclusions: Negative expression on PTEN in EN; EA; ET and CE/CC is a manifestation of the inactivation of this gene. The mechanisms that cause this inactivation, must be elucidated.