Maspin expression in endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma, and its relation with angiogenesis.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the maspin expression in endometrial hyperplasia and cancer, and also to investigate its relation with angiogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 19 women with complex atypical hyperplasia, 44 patients with simple hyperplasia without atypia, and 67 patients with endometrial carcinoma were included. Maspin expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and tested for possible significant relation with age, FIGO stage, histologic type, grade, depth of myometrial invasion (MI), lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI), lymph node metastasis, and overall survival (OS). Angiogenesis was determined by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) staining. RESULTS: Maspin expression was detected in only three patients with endometrial hyperplasia (5%). In patients with endometrial cancer, cytoplasmic and nuclear maspin expressions were detected in 36 (53.7%) and 18 (26.9%) patients, respectively. No significant relation was noted between staining localizations and prognostic variables. The five-year OS rate for patients with cytoplasmic staining was 91%, compared to 87% for patients without staining (p = 0.31). These values for nuclear expression were 100% and 87%, respectively (p = 0.16). The cytoplasmic and nuclear maspin expressions were found to be significantly correlated with VEGF (r = 0.278, p = 0.02 and r = 0.295, p = 0.01, respectively). DISCUSSION: This is the first study to demonstrate the relation between maspin expression and angiogenesis in endometrial cancer. Although no survival difference was noted for cytoplasmic or nuclear maspin expressions, a tendency was detected for nuclear staining. Further series will clarify the exact prognostic role of maspin expression in gynecological malignancies including endometrial cancer.

The prognostic value of endoglin (CD105) expression in ovarian carcinoma.

Intratumoral angiogenesis has become an important issue after the identification of antiangiogenic therapeutics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of CD105 in patients with ovarian cancer and also to compare with CD31. Fifty-eight patients were included to this study. All the paraffin blocks were reviewed, and angiogenesis was determined by immunohistochemical staining, using anti-CD105 and anti-CD31 monoclonal antibodies. The mean microvessel density (MVD) with CD105 and CD31 were 28.78 +/- 22.20 and 28.69 +/- 18.57, respectively (P = 0.97). With respect to prognostic factors, CD31 was only significant for suboptimal cytoreduction (P = 0.02), and CD105 was significant for both advanced stage and suboptimal cytoreduction (P = 0.02 and P = 0.05, respectively). For survival analysis, patients were divided into three groups by quartiles for each marker (group 1, <25%; group 2, 25-75%; and group 3, >75%). By CD31, only significant difference was noted between group 1 and group 2 (P = 0.03). In analysis with CD105, the survival rate of patients with group 3 was significantly worse than group 1 and group 2 (P = 0.01 for both). In multivariate analysis, cytoreduction and MVD determined by CD105 remained significant. In this study, endoglin was found to be an independent predictor of poor survival. Therefore, it could be used for antiangiogenic therapies.