Endometrial
adenocarcinoma is a common gynecological
malignancy that is usually treated by surgical resection followed by radiation. However, the frequency of remote
metastasis is high. The present study aimed to investigate whether patients with endometrial
adenocarcinoma exhibited a positive response to treatment with a
gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue or inhibitors of neoangiogenesis, which are applied for the treatment of other
malignancies. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed using 203
paraffin-embedded tissue samples of endometrial
adenocarcinomas from patients who had undergone surgery at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Germany. The tissues were incubated with
antibodies against
luteinizing hormone/
choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR) and
vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), and evaluated by bright field microscopy. The staining was categorized according to the Immune-Reactive-Score (IRS). The IRS scores were then statistically associated with various
tumor traits, including
tumor size, lymph node status,
metastasis, grade, expression of
steroid hormone receptors and patient survival. There was a significant association between VEGFR2 expression and
tumor grading and
estrogen receptor-α (ERα). For LHCGR, a correlation was observed with ERα and
progesterone receptor (PR). No correlations were identified between VEGFR2 or LHCGR expression and the other examined
tumor traits or patient survival. The associations between VEGFR2 and ERα, and between LHCGR and ERα or PR, may be explained by the interaction of these signal transduction molecules in the regulation of cellular growth and differentiation. These mechanisms also have an important role in the formation of remote
metastases, which is the main cause for
tumor-associated mortality. The results of the present study suggested that patients with endometrial
adenocarcinoma may benefit from treatment with inhibitors of ERα, PR, VEGFR2 or LHCGR, since it could lead to a better prognosis. However, further studies are required in order to elucidate the roles of these receptors in endometrial
adenocarcinoma.