Clinicopathological correlations of endometrioid and clear cell carcinomas in the uterus and ovary.

Endometrioid carcinoma (EC) and clear cell carcinoma (CC) are associated with endometrial tissue hyperplasia and endometriosis, and they occur in the endometrium and ovaries. However, detailed differences between these tumors based on immunostaining are unclear; therefore, in this study, we aimed to analyze the clinicopathological correlations between these tumors using immunostaining and to develop new treatments based on histological subtypes. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate differentially expressed hypoxia-associated molecules (hypoxia-inducible factor-1 subunit alpha [HIF-1α], forkhead box O1, prostate-specific membrane antigen, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 [STAT3], hepatocyte nuclear factor 1ß [HNF-1ß], aquaporin-3, and vimentin [VIM]) between these carcinomas because of the reported association between CC and ischemia. Immunostaining and clinicopathological data from 70 patients (21 uterine endometrioid carcinomas [UECs], 9 uterine cell carcinomas, 20 ovarian endometrioid carcinomas [OECs], and 20 ovarian cell carcinomas [OCCs]) were compared. HIF-1α and prostate-specific membrane antigen expression levels were higher in UEC and OCC than in uterine cell carcinomas and OEC. STAT3 was slightly overexpressed in UEC. Additionally, forkhead box O1 expression was either absent or significantly attenuated in all ECs. VIM and AQ3 were highly expressed in UEC, whereas HNF-1ß expression was higher in OCC. UEC, OEC, and OCC were more common in the uterine fundus, left ovary, and right ovary, respectively. Ovarian endometriosis was strongly associated with EC. Our findings suggest that UEC and OCC share a carcinogenic pathway that involves HIF-1α induction under hypoxic conditions via STAT3 expression, resulting in angiogenesis. Furthermore, the anatomical position of carcinomas may contribute to their carcinogenesis. Finally, aquaporin-3 and VIM demonstrate strong potential as biomarkers for UEC, whereas HNF-1ß expression is a crucial factor in CC development. These differences in tumor site and histological subtypes shown in this study will lead to the establishment of treatment based on histological and immunohistological classification.

DNA microarray analyses of genes elicited by ultrasound in human U937 cells.

The gene expression of human histiocytic lymphoma cell line U937 at 6 h after 1 MHz ultrasound treatment in the presence of Ar or N(2)O gas was examined by DNA microarrays. Of the 9,182 genes analyzed, only the keratin gene was identified as down-regulated in the cells exposed to ultrasound in the presence of N(2)O where no internal cavitation was observed. In contrast, five up-regulated and two down-regulated genes were identified in the cells exposed to ultrasound in the presence of Ar where internal cavitation was apparently observed. Six changes of the gene expression were confirmed by the semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Gene expression of heme oxygenase was augmented by a factor of 6.6 in microarray and by 4.0 by RT-PCR. These results indicate that internal cavitation increased the expression of genes responsive to oxidative stress in sonicated cells but non-inertial cavitation had minimal effects on gene expression.