Diagnostic use of nuclear beta-catenin expression for the assessment of endometrial stromal tumors.

Abstract

Alterations in beta-catenin degradation cause it to accumulate to immunohistochemically detectable levels in the nuclei of tumor cells. Although it has been shown that nuclear beta-catenin immunostaining is useful for the diagnosis of some mesenchymal tumors, there is little known about beta-catenin expression in endometrial stromal tumors. In this study, nuclear beta-catenin immunoreactivity was evaluated in normal endometrium and endometrial mesenchymal tumors and then compared with that of CD10. The endometrial mesenchymal tumors evaluated included endometrial stromal nodules (n=2), low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (n=12), undifferentiated endometrial sarcomas (n=8) and uterine cellular leiomyomata (n=9). In addition, direct DNA sequencing of beta-catenin exon 3 was conducted in 15 endometrial stromal tumors. Normal endometrial stromal cells showed strong cytoplasmic reactivity for CD10 but no detectable reactivity for beta-catenin. Nuclear beta-catenin immunoreactivity was detected in 11 low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (92%) and 6 undifferentiated endometrial sarcomas (75%). Ten low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (83%) and six undifferentiated endometrial sarcomas (75%) were positive for CD10. Eight low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (67%) exhibited diffuse, strong nuclear immunoreactivity with beta-catenin, whereas only four cases (33%) expressed diffuse, strong immunoreactivity with CD10. All nine cases of uterine cellular leiomyomata were completely negative for both CD10 and beta-catenin. beta-catenin mutations were rare in endometrial stromal tumors. Taken together, these results indicate that nuclear beta-catenin immunostaining can serve as a sensitive immunohistochemical marker for the diagnosis of endometrial stromal tumors and is useful for differentiating low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas from uterine cellular leiomyomata.

• Authors: Chan-Kwon Jung, Ji-Han Jung, Ahwon Lee, Youn-Soo Lee, Yeong-Jin Choi, Seung-Kew Yoon, Kyo-Young Lee
• Journal: Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc (Mod Pathol) Vol. 21 Issue 6 Pg. 756-63 (Jun 2008) ISSN: 0893-3952 [Print] United States
• PMID: 18376386 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• beta Catenin
• Neprilysin

Topics

• Base Sequence
• Biomarkers, Tumor (analysis)
• Cell Nucleus (metabolism)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Endometrial Stromal Tumors (diagnosis, metabolism)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Leiomyoma (metabolism, pathology)
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Mutation
• Neprilysin (biosynthesis)
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Sarcoma, Endometrial Stromal (diagnosis, metabolism)
• beta Catenin (biosynthesis, genetics)