Background & objective: The pathogenesis of endometrial carcinoma is unclear. This study was to explore the expression of beclin1 (BECN1) and PTEN in endometrial carcinoma, and investigate their correlations to clinicopathologic features of endometrial carcinoma.
Methods: The expression of BECN1 and PTEN in 79 specimens of endometrial carcinoma, 34 specimens of endometrial hyperplasia, and 22 specimens of normal endometria were detected by PowerVision immunohistochemistry. Their correlations to clinicopathologic features of endometrial carcinoma were analyzed.
Results: The positive rates of BECN1 and PTEN were the highest in normal endometria, and diminished gradually in endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma (93.33%, 58.82%, and 34.18%, Chi (2)=42.318, P<0.001, 93.33%, 64.71%, and 32.91%, Chi(2)=31.746, P<0.001). The expression of BECN1 was correlated to cell differentiation and histological type, but not to pathologic stage and myometrial invasion. The expression of PTEN was correlated to cell differentiation, histological type, and myometrial invasion, but not to pathologic stage. The expression of BECN1 was positively correlated to that of PTEN in endometrial carcinoma.
Conclusion: The down-regulation of BECN1 and PTEN may be correlated to carcinogenesis of endometrioid adenocarcinoma.