Alteration in adhesion molecules expression in normal, hyperplastic and malignant endometrium

Adhesion molecules such as cadherins and CD44 are transmembrane glycoproteins with diverse functions in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and may be determinants of invasive and metastatic behavior in carcinomas. The immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin and CD44 in tissue samples from 30 cases; 6 normal 9 hyperplastic and 15 endometrial carcinomas were studied using monoclonal antibodies against both molecules. E-cadherin expression was significantly lower in carcinomas versus normal [P=0.012] endometrium; its expression was inversely correlated with the grade of the tumor [P=0.02], nuclear grade [P=0.029] and tumor stage [P=0.038]. In contrast, an overexpression of CD44 was detected in endometrial carcinomas compared to normal [P=0.041] and hyperplastic endometrium [P= 0.022] while higher expression was noted in higher grade carcinomas, higher nuclear grade and more advanced stage but with non significant changes. Both molecules were associated with deep myometrial invasion, lymphatic permeation and lymph node metastasis. Alteration of E-cadherin and CD44 expression seemed to be related to local invasion and dissemination of the disease

Immunohistochemical study of estrogen and progesterone receptors in normal, hyperplastic and malignant endometrium

A series of 44 cases of various human endometrial tissues were immunohistochemically stained for estrogen receptor [ER] and progesterone receptor [PR] using formalin -fixed, paraffin - embedded sections. ER/PR content was evaluated in the epithelium, stroma and myometrium according to the percentage of positive cells and the intensity of nuclear stain. The receptor content was highest in the proliferative epithelium and decreased gradually throughout the postovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle in both the epithelium and the stroma. ER / PR content was high both in the epithelium and stroma of hyperplasia without atypia and was thus similar to that of the proliferative endometrium. The receptor content was very low in the epithelium and stroma of hyperplasia with cytologic atypia. In carcinomas, there was a heterogeneous distribution of ER and PR both in the epithelium and stroma, but in general, the receptor content was low as compared with normal proliferative or hyperplastic endometrium without atypia. Endometrioidtype adenocarcinomas including those with squamous differentiation had the highest degree of positivity for both receptors. Tumors with architectural grade 3 were significantly immunostained less than those with 2 or 1 grades. Carcinomas with nuclear grade 3 were unstaind. The low grade endometrial stromal sarcoma was positive for both receptors, while the high - grade one was negative. The degrees of ER and PR positivity correlated with each other. There was no correlation between the patient's age and ER / PR categories. The results of this study indicate that immunohistochemical analysis of sex steroid receptor status on formalin -fixed, paraffin - embedded tissues offers good alternative to the standard biochemical procedure