Evaluation of immunohistochemical staining for hepatocyte growth factor and c-met in endometrial adenocarcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma is a primary malignant epithelial tumor, usually with glandular differentiation, arising in the endometrium with the potential to invade and metastasize. Hepatocyte growth factor [HGF] and its receptor c- Met have been implicated in uterine development, pregnancy, and endometrial disorders, such as endometriosis and carcinoma. The goal of this study was to evaluate immunohistochemical [IHC] staining patterns of HGF and c-Met in endometrial adenocarcinoma and to correlate staining with the biological behavior and outcome of endometrial adenocarcinoma. A retrospective study included 45 cases, who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy, between 2005-2010 samples, were taken from Teaching Laboratories at Baghdad Teaching Hospital/Medical City. Thirty cases were diagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the endometrium, an additional 15 patients diagnosed as to have uterine leiomyoma [fibroid] and who had normal endometrium were taken as a control group. The patient's age, tumor grading, depth of myometrial invasion, presence of pelvic and paraaortic LN metstases, vascular invasion, and the stage of the disease were noted. The specimens were already fixed in10% formalin, and paraffin embedded. Three sections [4 micron in thickness] were cut from each paraffin block. One section stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin [H and E] stain, and the other two stained with HGF and c-Met immunostaining antibodies using positively charged slides. The mean age of the patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma was 58.5years. There was no statistically significant difference between HGF/c-Met expression and age, tumor grade, stage, myometrial invasion and vascular invasion. There was a statistical significant correlation between HGF and c-Met scores with cases showing no pelvic lymph nodes metastases. There is a linear increase in HGF and c-Met expression in both the diseased and control group. A statistical significant correlation was found in HGF and c-Met scores between the diseased group and the control group. HGF and c-Met staining was significantly different between control group and diseased group. HGF and c-Met Showed Linear increase Expression in both diseased and control group. The c-Met is the high-affinity receptor for hepatocyte growth factor.

RET/PTC and CK19 Expression in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and Its Clinicopathologic Correlation

Recently, the rearrangement of RET proto-oncogene has been reported to be the most common genetic change in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, its prevalence has been reported variably and its relation to clinical outcome has been controversial. The characteristic nuclear features of PTC usually render the diagnosis, but problem arises with equivocal cytologic features that are present focally. Although there remains some controversy, CK19 has been reported to be a useful ancillary tool for diagnosis of PTC. To evaluate the expression rate of RET/PTC rearrangement and CK19 in PTCs in a Korean population, we studied 115 papillary thyroid carcinomas in 3 mm-core tissue microarray based immunohistochemical analysis. The prevalence of Ret protein expression was 62.6% and the CK19 immunoreactivity was 80.9%. There was no statistically significant asso-ciation between the Ret positivity and CK19 immunoreactivity, although the percent agreement of the two was relatively high. The clinicopathological variables did not correlate with the expression of Ret. In conclusion, the prevalence of Ret protein expression and its clinicopathological implications in a Korean population are not much different from those reported in previous studies. However, its detection via immunohistochemistry can be a useful diagnostic tool for diagnosing papillary thyroid carcinoma in conjunction with CK19.