Polypoid endometriosis of the ovary mimicking ovarian carcinoma dissemination: a case report and literature review.

Polypoid endometriosis is a rare type of endometriosis. We report a case of polypoid endometriosis of the ovary mimicking ovarian carcinoma with peritoneal dissemination. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a left ovarian endometriotic cyst containing several nodules in the cystic wall that displayed enhancement, and pelvic nodules on the right ovary. A preoperative or intraoperative diagnosis to avoid the unnecessary extended operation is important for such disease. Retrospective magnetic resonance imaging analysis identified a peculiar finding for polypoid endometriosis: all solid nodules had a round and smooth shape and displayed a low-signal-intense marginal edge on T2-weighted images, suggesting that this is an important finding for differentiating polypoid endometriosis from ovarian carcinoma arising from endometriosis.

Anti-tumor effect of Wasabi component, 6-(methylsulfinyl) hexyl isothiocyanate, against endometrial carcinoma cells.

PURPOSE: Wasabi is a traditional plant seasoning with an anti-septic function. Recent studies revealed several functions of Wasabi, such as anti-inflammation; however, the anti-tumor effect against endometrial carcinoma (EMC) cells has not been examined. In the present study, we investigated the anti-tumor effect of 6-(methylsulfinyl) hexyl isothiocyanate (6-MITC), a major chemical compound of Wasabi, against various EMC cell lines in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The effect of 6-MITC on cell viability was measured by the WST-1 assay in EMC and HUVEC cells. The impact of 6-MITC oral administration in nude mice was measured to assess the growth of the EMC xenograft and natural killer (NK) cell activity in the spleen. RESULTS: The addition of 6-MITC suppressed the proliferation of EMC cells (Ishikawa, HEC265, HEC108, KLE, and HEC1B) dose-dependently, but not HUVEC cells. 6-MITC (5 µM) enhanced the cisplatin sensitivity of EMC cells. 6-MITC induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent fashion in EMC cells other than HEC1B cells and was associated with increased expression of cleaved-caspase3 and decreased expression of BCL2. Oral administration of 6-MITC (2 and 4 µmol/kg) to Ishikawa and HEC1B xenografting mice resulted in a reduced tumor volume compared with the control (P < 0.05, 4 µmol/kg). Immunohistochemical staining of resected tumors revealed increased expression of Ki-67 and reduced cleaved-caspase3. Furthermore, 6-MITC treatment enhanced NK cell activity, especially when administered before tumor xenografting. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that 6-MITC has a marked anti-tumor effect against EMC cells and a novel effect to enhance NK cell activity. These effects suggest the therapeutic potential of 6-MITC.

Hypoxia upregulates ovarian cancer invasiveness via the binding of HIF-1α to a hypoxia-induced, methylation-free hypoxia response element of S100A4 gene.

Hypoxia is known to play important roles in the development and progression of tumors. We previously demonstrated that S100A4, a critical molecule for metastasis, was upregulated in ovarian cancer cells. Therefore, we examined the mechanisms of the upregulation of S100A4 expression in ovarian carcinoma cells, with particular attention paid to the effects of hypoxia. The expression levels of S100A4 were found to be correlated with the invasiveness of ovarian carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo, and the upregulation of S100A4 expression was associated with hypomethylation of CpG sites in the first intron of S100A4 in ovarian carcinoma cell lines and tissues. The expression of S100A4 was increased under hypoxia and was associated with elevated invasiveness, which was inhibited by S100A4 small interfering RNA (siRNA). In addition, exposure to hypoxia reduced the methylation of hypoxia-response elements (HRE) of the S100A4 gene in a time-dependent fashion, in association with the increased binding of HIF-1α to a methylation-free HRE in ovarian carcinoma cells. These results indicate that hypoxia-induced hypomethylation plays an essential role in S100A4 overexpression and the epigenetic transformation of ovarian carcinoma cells into the "metastatic phenotype."

Prognostic significance of Notch signalling molecules and their involvement in the invasiveness of endometrial carcinoma cells.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of the expression of Notch-related molecules in endometrial carcinoma. METHODS AND RESULTS: The expression of Notch receptors (Notch1 and 3) and Notch ligands [Jagged (JAG) 1 and Delta-like (DLL) 4] was examined immunohistochemically in 37 normal and 76 malignant endometrial tissue samples. For each section, immunohistochemical staining was scored using a positivity index (PI, full score; 200). The effects of a Notch inhibitor, DAPT, on cell proliferation, invasion and motility were investigated using endometrial carcinoma cell lines. The PIs for Notch1 (mean±SD 90.4±15.3), Notch3 (95.6 ± 20.4), JAG1 (95.5±10.0) and DLL4 (88.2±9.6), were significantly higher in endometrial carcinoma than normal endometrium. The PI for Notch1 was associated significantly with advanced International Federation of Gynecologists & Obstetricians (FIGO) stage. In addition, patients with tumours showing high expression of both Notch1 and JAG1 had a poor prognosis compared with those having double-negative carcinomas (P=0.015). DAPT suppressed invasiveness of cells derived from the endometrial carcinoma cell line KLE. CONCLUSIONS: The Notch1-JAG1 axis may enhance the invasive properties of endometrial carcinomas, which suggests the Notch pathway may be a promising target for the treatment of this malignancy.

Distinguishing primary from secondary mucinous ovarian tumors: an algorithm using the novel marker DPEP1.

Distinguishing primary mucinous ovarian cancers from ovarian metastases of digestive organ cancers is often challenging. Dipeptidase 1 was selected as the candidate novel marker of colorectal cancer based on an analysis of a gene expression microarray. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that 13/16 ovarian metastases of colorectal cancers, but only 1/58 primary mucinous ovarian cancers, were dipeptidase 1-positive (threshold; ≧25% expression, P<0.0001). Next, five immunohistochemical markers (dipeptidase 1, estrogen receptor-α, cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin 20, and caudal type homeobox 2) were analyzed in combination. In a hierarchical clustering analysis, the mutually exclusive expression of cytokeratin 7 and dipeptidase 1 specifically identified the ovarian metastases of colorectal cancers (P<0.0001). In a decision tree analysis, cytokeratin 7, caudal type homeobox 2, and dipeptidase 1 classified primary mucinous ovarian cancers and ovarian metastases of digestive organ cancers with 90% accuracy. Finally, the five immunohistochemical markers were combined with six preoperative factors (patient's age, tumor size, laterality, serum CEA, CA19-9, and CA125) and combinations were analyzed. Of the 11 factors, 4 (dipeptidase 1, cytokeratin 7, caudal type homeobox 2, and tumor size) were used to generate a decision tree to classify primary mucinous ovarian cancers and metastases of digestive organ cancers with 93% accuracy. In conclusion, we identified a novel immunohistochemical marker, dipeptidase 1, to distinguish primary mucinous ovarian cancers from ovarian metastasis of colorectal cancers. The algorithm using immunohistochemical and clinical factors to distinguish metastases of digestive organ cancers from primary mucinous ovarian cancers will be useful to establish a protocol for the diagnosis of ovarian metastasis.

Molecular Approach to Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: LMP2-Deficient Mice as an Animal Model of Spontaneous Uterine Leiomyosarcoma.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) develops more often in the muscle tissue layer of the uterine body than in the uterine cervix. The development of gynecologic tumors is often correlated with female hormone secretion; however, the development of uterine LMS is not substantially correlated with hormonal conditions, and the risk factors are not yet known. Importantly, a diagnostic-biomarker which distinguishes malignant LMS from benign tumor leiomyoma (LMA) is yet to be established. Accordingly, it is necessary to analyze risk factors associated with uterine LMS, in order to establish a treatment method. LMP2-deficient mice spontaneously develop uterine LMS, with a disease prevalence of ~40% by 14 months of age. We found LMP2 expression to be absent in human LMS, but present in human LMA. Therefore, defective LMP2 expression may be one of the risk factors for LMS. LMP2 is a potential diagnostic-biomarker for uterine LMS, and may be targeted-molecule for a new therapeutic approach.

Cyclin A2 confers cisplatin resistance to endometrial carcinoma cells via up-regulation of an Akt-binding protein, periplakin.

Although overexpression of cyclin A2 is reportedly an indicator of a poor prognosis of various malignancies including endometrial carcinoma, its molecular mechanism remains undetermined. To address this issue, we examined the effect of cyclin A2 on the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. The expression of cyclin A2 protein was increased in advanced-stage and chemotherapy-refractory stage endometrial carcinomas compared with that in early-stage tumours. The expression levels of cyclin A2 in endometrial carcinoma cell lines correlated positively with the IC(50) for cisplatin. Endometrial carcinoma HHUA cells that overexpressed cyclin A2 showed increased resistance to cisplatin in vitro and in vivo, via the activation of a survival pathway, the inositol-3 phosphate kinase (PI3K) cascade. The use of a cDNA microarray identified an Akt-binding protein, periplakin, as a novel target of cyclin A2. The cyclin A2-induced up-regulation of periplakin was mediated via direct binding of Sp1 to the promoter that was activated by cyclin A2 along with chromatin remodelling involving CBP/p300, and the siRNA-mediated silencing of periplakin suppressed the PI3K pathway. These results indicate cyclin A2 to be involved in the acquisition of aggressive behaviour of tumour cells through the activation of PI3K by cyclin A2-induced periplakin, and to be a promising therapeutic target.

Type-specific roles of histone deacetylase (HDAC) overexpression in ovarian carcinoma: HDAC1 enhances cell proliferation and HDAC3 stimulates cell migration with downregulation of E-cadherin.

Histone acetylation/deacetylation controls chromatin activity and subsequent gene transcription. Recent studies demonstrated the activation of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in various human malignancies; however, the expression and function of HDACs in ovarian tumors are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the immunohistochemical expression of HDAC1, HDAC2 and HDAC3 using tissues obtained from 115 cases of ovarian tumors and compared it with that of Ki-67 (a growth marker), p21, and E-cadherin and clinicopathological parameters. In addition, we analyzed the effect of specific siRNA for HDAC1, HDAC2 and HDAC3 on the expression of cell cycle-related molecules and E-cadherin to clarify the functional difference among the 3 HDACs. The results indicated that the immunohistochemical expression of nuclear HDAC1, HDAC2 and HDAC3 proteins increased stepwise in benign, borderline and malignant tumors. The expression of HDAC1 and HDAC2 was correlated with Ki-67 expression and that of HDAC3 was inversely correlated with E-cadherin expression. Among the HDACs examined, only HDAC1 was associated with a poor outcome, when overexpressed. Treatment with HDAC inhibitors suppressed the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells in association with apoptosis. A specific siRNA for HDAC1 significantly reduced the proliferation of ovarian carcinoma cells via downregulation of cyclin A expression, but siRNA for HDAC3 reduced the cell migration with elevated E-cadherin expression. Our results suggested that HDAC1 plays an important role in the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells, whereas HDAC3 functions in cell adhesion and migration. Therefore, specific therapeutic approaches should be considered according to the HDAC subtypes.

Inverse correlation between Skp2 and p27(Kip1) in normal endometrium and endometrial carcinoma.

Cyclin-dependent-kinase (cdk) inhibitor, p27(Kip1) (p27), has been shown to participate in progestin-induced growth suppression of normal endometrial glands. To analyse the molecular mechanisms regulating p27 protein, we examined immunohistochemical expression of the SCF(Skp2) (Skp1-Cullin-F-box protein) complex factors, i.e. Skp1, Cul1 and Skp2, and compared them with that of p27, steroid receptors and Ki-67. In normal endometrial glands, the expression of Skp2 was observed in the proliferative phase, whereas that of p27 was observed in the secretory phase. Cultured normal endometrial glandular cells showed that progesterone induced the down-regulation of Skp2 along with up-regulation of p27. In endometrial carcinomas, the inverse topological correlation between Skp2 and p27 was evident in 39/66 (59%) cases, and the expression of Skp2 showed a strong correlation with Ki-67. These findings suggest that the expression of SCF(Skp2) complex changes during the menstrual cycle in normal endometrium and the SCF(Skp2) ubiquitin-proteasome pathway may also work in endometrial carcinomas.

Up-regulation of nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR) in progestin-induced growth suppression of endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Although progestins have been used for the treatment of endometrial neoplasias, the mechanisms of progestin-induced growth suppression remain undetermined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunostaining for steroid receptor coactivators (SRC-1, p300/CBP), corepressors (NCoR, SMRT) and Ki-67 in 15 neoplastic endometria before and after the treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) was performed. The effect of progestin on cell proliferation and cofactors expression were examined using T47D cells. RESULTS: Of the 15 cases, 10 showed good histological responses to MPA (Responder) and 5 poor responses (Non-responder). In Responders, MPA treatment resulted in reduced expression of Ki-67 by 78% (p=0.0076) along with increased NCoR expression by 158 % (p=0.0077). Progestin treatment for T47D cells resulted in up-regulation of NCoR mRNA and protein with the suppression of cell proliferation. Immunoprecipitation revealed that NCoR was bound to estrogen receptor alpha, but not to progesterone receptor in T47D cells. CONCLUSION: The up-regulation of NCoR by progestins is associated with the suppression of estrogen-induced growth of neoplastic cells.

Overexpression of RhoA enhances peritoneal dissemination: RhoA suppression with Lovastatin may be useful for ovarian cancer.

Small guanosine triphosphatase RhoA has been known to re-organize cytoskeletons and regulate cell migration. The present authors have previously reported that expression of RhoA is significantly increased in advanced ovarian carcinomas and also in the peritoneal disseminated lesions. The present study investigated whether overexpression of RhoA could alter the progressive behavior of ovarian cancer cells. The effect of various Rho inhibitors on the biological behavior of ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in vivo was also examined. A stable RhoA-transfectant of an ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 was generated and examined in vitro for alterations of proliferative activity and invasiveness, and also in the nude mice model for peritoneal dissemination. In addition, the effect of a specific Rho inhibitor (C3 exoenzyme), Rho kinase inhibitor (Y27632) and hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor (Lovastatin and Pravastatin) were studied in vitro and in vivo. Forced overexpression of RhoA did not alter proliferative activity but significantly increased the invasiveness in vitro, which was suppressed by addition of C3 exoenzyme, Y27834, Lovastatin and Pravastatin. In the nude mice model, the frequency of dissemination and the number of disseminated lesions were significantly increased in the RhoA transfectant than in the control. In addition, oral administration of Lovastatin significantly decreased the number of metastatic sites compared with the control. These findings suggest that upregulation and/or activation of RhoA play an important role in the peritoneal dissemination of ovarian carcinoma, and that Lovastatin might be a candidate for the possible, novel treatment for ovarian carcinoma patients with peritoneal dissemination.

Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha, hypoxia-inducible factor 2alpha, and von Hippel-Lindau protein in epithelial ovarian neoplasms and allelic loss of von Hippel-Lindau gene: nuclear expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha is an independent prognostic factor in ovarian carcinoma.

The hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is a transcriptional factor with important roles in tumor biology. To clarify the possible involvement of the HIF-alpha subunit and von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein in the development and progression of ovarian carcinoma, we analyzed the immunohistochemical expressions of HIF-1alpha, HIF-2alpha, and VHL in 107 cases of epithelial ovarian tumors. In addition, we examined loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at VHL gene loci. The frequency of the cytoplasmic expression of HIF-2alpha in carcinomas was higher than that in benign and borderline tumors (P < .0001). Furthermore, the nuclear expression of HIF-1alpha and the cytoplasmic expression of HIF-2alpha were significantly higher in tumors of FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stages III and IV than in those of stages I and II. On the other hand, the cytoplasmic expression of HIF-1alpha did not show differences among histological malignancies. There was a positive correlation between nuclear HIF-1alpha expression and vascular endothelial growth factor (rho = 0.320, P < .001). Although LOH at the VHL gene locus was frequent in ovarian carcinomas (24%), there is no significant correlation between LOH and loss of VHL expression. In 22 clear cell carcinomas, VHL expression showed a significantly negative correlation with the nuclear expression of HIF-1alpha (rho = -0.529, P = .0153). The log-rank test showed that nuclear positive immunostaining for HIF-1alpha (P = .002) and cytoplasmic positive immunostaining for HIF-2alpha (P = .0112) in tumor cells are associated with poor prognosis of patients with ovarian carcinoma. Multivariate analysis also showed that the nuclear expression of HIF-1alpha is an independent prognostic factor. These results show that the HIF-alpha subunit represents an important biomarker in the evaluation of the prognosis of patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Expression of semaphorins, vascular endothelial growth factor, and their common receptor neuropilins and alleic loss of semaphorin locus in epithelial ovarian neoplasms: increased ratio of vascular endothelial growth factor to semaphorin is a poor prognostic factor in ovarian carcinomas.

Semaphorins (SEMAs) compete with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for receptor neuropilin 1 (NP1) and 2 (NP2) and suppress angiogenesis. To clarify the involvement of SEMA and VEGF in the development and progression of ovarian carcinoma, we analyzed the immunohistochemical expression of SEMA, VEGF, NP1, and NP2 in 105 epithelial ovarian tumors. In addition, loss of heterozygosity at SEMA gene loci was examined. Strong expression of SEMA was found in 48% of benign, 33% of borderline tumors, and 13% of carcinomas (P < .05). Positivity for SEMA was significantly decreased in stage IV carcinomas and the expression of SEMA was significantly lower in peritoneal metastases than in primary lesions. Expression of SEMA showed a weak inverse correlation with microvessel density, but the correlation was not statistically significant. Loss of heterozygosity at SEMA3B or SEMA3F was demonstrated in none of the benign tumors, 8% of borderline tumors, and 29% of carcinomas. Expression of NP1 and NP2 was significantly higher in carcinomas than in benign tumors (P < .0001 and .0002, respectively). Patients with ovarian carcinoma with a high VEGF/SEMA ratio showed poorer survival than those with a low VEGF/SEMA ratio (P = .005). Decreased expression of SEMA and increased expression of NP1 and NP2 are characteristics of ovarian carcinomas, and loss of SEMA expression may play an important role in ovarian carcinoma progression. A high VEGF/SEMA ratio has adverse prognostic significance in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Intratumoral heterogeneous expression of p53 correlates with p53 mutation, Ki-67, and cyclin A expression in endometrioid-type endometrial adenocarcinomas.

To further elucidate the significance of p53 mutation in endometrial carcinoma, we investigated it in endometrioid-type endometrial carcinomas showing intratumoral heterogeneous p53 expression. In addition, we also examined the correlation of p53 mutation and cyclin A expression, because we previously reported a topological correlation between the expression of p53 and cyclin A. The p53 mutation in exons 5-8 in 54 cases of endometrial carcinoma showing immunohistochemical expression of p53 was examined using microdissected tissue DNAs. Of the 54 p53-positive endometrial carcinomas, 23 (43%) had p53 mutation with a tendency in histologically higher grade tumors. Ten of the 54 showed a heterogeneous p53 expression, and in 9 of the 10 cases, p53 mutation was present only in p53-positive sites, which were often found in histologically less differentiated areas with elevated Ki-67 in the same tumor. Cyclin A expression was topologically observed in p53-positive areas; however, it was noted in both tumors with (12/23, 52%) and without (18/31, 58%) p53 mutation. These results suggest that p53 mutation is a late event and plays an important role in the acquisition of malignant potentials in endometrioid-type endometrial adenocarcinomas. Unexpectedly, accumulation of the p53 protein itself may be important in cyclin A overexpression.

The effect of free and polyethylene glycol-liposome-entrapped albendazole on larval mobility and number in Toxocara canis infected mice.

As part of our exploratory drug research on the larva migrans that causes roundworm in dogs and cats, this study was carried out to clarify the effect of free and liposome-entrapped (LE) albendazole in Toxocara canis infected mice. In infected mice, evaluation of mobility and number of larva were examined in detail in the brain, skeletal muscle and liver. Larva mobility was evaluated by using the relative mobility (RM) value. Albendazole was LE as one of the drug delivery systems (DDSs). Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was added to the liposome in order to avoid evoking a response by the reticuloendothelial system (RES). By using the albendazole PEG-LE delivery system, it was possible to target the larvae in the mouse brain and liver resulting in a decrease in the number of larvae. In the skeletal muscle of the infected mice, the intraperitoneal dosages of PEG-LE albendazole did not cause a complete decrease in the number of larvae, even though free albendazole did cause the number to decrease. Therefore, it is necessary to take into consideration the migrating stage of the larvae before the initiation of any drug administration.

Uterine Leiomyosarcoma Tumorigenesis in Lmp2-deficient Mice: Involvement of Impaired Anti-oncogenic Factor IRF1.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Uterine leiomyosarcoma (Ut-LMS) is a highly metastatic smooth muscle neoplasm. We have previously reported that low molecular mass protein2 Lmp2-deficient mice spontaneously developed Ut-LMS, which implicated this protein as an anti-oncogenic candidate. We also suggested that LMP2 may negatively regulate Ut-LMS independently of its role in the proteasome. Initially described as a transcription factor able to activate the expression of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-responsive genes, interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF1) has been shown to play roles in the immune response, and tumor suppression. The aim of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism of sarcomagenesis of Ut-LMS using human and mouse uterine tissues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of the IFN-γ signal molecules, IRF1 and -2, STAT1, and LMP2, -3, -7 and -10 were examined by western blot analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and immunohistochemistry in human and mouse uterine tissues. Physiological significance of IRF1 in sarcomagenesis of Ut-LMS was demonstrated by xenograft studies. RESULTS: In the present study, several lines of evidence indicated that although treatment with IFN-γ strongly induced the activation of STAT1 as a transcriptional activator, its target molecule, IRF1, was not clearly produced in Lmp2-deficient uterine smooth muscle cells (Ut-SMCs). CONCLUSION: Defective expression of IRF1 in the IFN-γ-induced signaling molecules may result in the malignant transformation of Ut-SMCs. The modulation of LMP2 may lead to new therapeutic approaches in human Ut-LMS.

Biological characterization of soft tissue sarcomas.

Soft tissue sarcomas are neoplastic malignancies that typically arise in tissues of mesenchymal origin. The identification of novel molecular mechanisms leading to mesenchymal transformation and the establishment of new therapies and diagnostic biomarker has been hampered by several critical factors. First, malignant soft tissue sarcomas are rarely observed in the clinic with fewer than 15,000 newly cases diagnosed each year in the United States. Another complicating factor is that soft tissue sarcomas are extremely heterogeneous as they arise in a multitude of tissues from many different cell lineages. The scarcity of clinical materials coupled with its inherent heterogeneity creates a challenging experimental environment for clinicians and scientists. Faced with these challenges, there has been extremely limited advancement in clinical treatment options available to patients as compared to other malignant tumours. In order to glean insight into the pathobiology of soft tissue sarcomas, scientists are now using mouse models whose genomes have been specifically tailored to carry gene deletions, gene amplifications, and somatic mutations commonly observed in human soft tissue sarcomas. The use of these model organisms has been successful in increasing our knowledge and understanding of how alterations in relevant oncogenic and/or tumour suppressive signal cascades, i.e., interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumour protein 53 (TP53) and/or retinoblastoma (RB) pathway directly impact sarcomagenesis. It is the goal of many in the physiological community that the use of several mouse models will serve as powerful in vivo tools for further understanding of sarcomagenesis and potentially identify new diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic strategies against human soft tissue sarcomas.

Elevated expression of E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenins in metastatic lesions compared with primary epithelial ovarian carcinomas.

E-cadherin and catenins play key roles in cell adhesion and motility. Little is known about the changes in expression of these molecules in the progression of ovarian carcinomas. In the present study, the immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenins was examined in 77 cases of ovarian carcinoma. In addition, the expression of these molecules was evaluated in 26 matched pairs of primary and metastatic lesions of advanced ovarian carcinomas. Of the 77 primary lesions, positive staining for E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin was observed in 75 (97%), 63 (82%), 71 (92%) and 57 (74%) cases, respectively. Positivity for E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin was significantly decreased in stage III and IV tumors compared with stage I and II tumors, suggesting that expression of the cadherin-catenin complex is reduced with the advancing stages of a tumor. Interestingly, expression of E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin in the lesions of peritoneal dissemination was significantly increased compared with the primary lesions. These findings suggest that expression of the cadherin-catenin complex changes markedly and that reexpression may occur during the peritoneal dissemination of ovarian carcinoma cells.

Expression of the mitogen-inducible gene-2 (mig-2) is elevated in human uterine leiomyomas but not in leiomyosarcomas.

To investigate the role of a recently cloned cell proliferation-related gene, mig-2 (mitogen-inducible gene-2), in the growth of uterine leiomyomas, this gene's expression at mRNA and protein levels was examined in normal myometrium, leiomyomas, and leiomyosarcomas of the uterus. Northern blotting, Western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that mig-2 expression was increased in leiomyomas compared with normal myometrium, especially during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. In contrast, the mig-2 expression was greatly decreased in leiomyosarcomas. Direct sequencing of the whole coding region of mig-2 cDNA and Southern blotting revealed that mig-2 alterations, such as mutations, rearrangement, and amplification, were not present in either leiomyomas or leiomyosarcomas. These findings suggest that mig-2 expression is transcriptionally elevated in leiomyomas and could be involved in its hormone-mediated growth of leiomyomas of the uterus.