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Expression of cellular FLICE/caspase-8 inhibitory protein is associated with malignant potential in endometrial carcinoma
  1. H.-X. Chen*,
  2. Y.-J. Liu*,
  3. X.-D. Zhou and
  4. R.-Y. Luo*
  1. * Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
  2. Department of Gastroenterology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
  1. Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Ruo-Yu Luo, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang road 238, 430060 Wuhan, China. Email: ruoyuluo{at}sina.com.cn

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the expression of cellular Fas-associated death domain-like interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (FLICE)/caspase-8 inhibitory protein (c-FLIP) in endometrial carcinoma and its possible implications. c-FLIP protein was detected in 42 endometrial carcinoma tissues and in 22 normal proliferative endometrial tissues by immunohistochemistry. In addition, c-FLIP messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was evaluated in 20 endometrial carcinomas and in 18 normal proliferative endometria by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using SYBR Green I™. The relationship between c-FLIP protein level and tumor cell proliferation and that between c-FLIP protein level and clinicopathologic parameters of patients with endometrial carcinoma was analyzed. c-FLIP protein expression was significantly higher in neoplastic tissues than in normal tissues (P < 0.01), and similar result was obtained from RT-PCR analysis of c-FLIP mRNA (P < 0.01). Furthermore, c-FLIP protein was significantly associated with proliferating cell nuclear antigen–labeling index (P < 0.01), clinical stage (P < 0.05), the presence of invasion to >1/2 myometrium (P < 0.05), and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis of variance also confirmed the association of c-FLIP with clinical stage (P < 0.05) and with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), while its association with myometrial invasion was marginal (P = 0.059). It is concluded that c-FLIP might contribute to the carcinogenesis and aggressiveness of endometrial carcinoma and might be a useful prognostic factor in the tumor.

  • clinical stage
  • endometrial carcinoma
  • FLIP
  • lymph node metastasis
  • PCNA

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