Introduction/Background Chemokines take part in the carcinogenesis by promoting i.e. proliferation, angiogenesis and epidermal-mesenchymal transition. Unlike most of chemokines, CXCL10 and its receptor CXCR3 are implicated to have a suppressive role in cancer development. To date, there is limited information on role of this chemokine axis in endometrial cancer (EC).

Methodology 77 patients were included in the research. Study group included 44 women who were diagnosed with stage I-II EC. Control group was formed by 33 patients who underwent hysterectomy due to non-oncological reasons. Tissue samples were collected during surgery and preserved in paraffin blocks. CXCL10 and CXCR3 genes were included in molecular analysis with a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to compare their relative expression in EC and healthy tissue. If the significant differences were observed, further analysis with immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to assess the expression of the chemokine in study and control group. IHC examination included both endometrial and stromal tissue and was evaluated using immunoreactive score (IRS).

Results CXCL10 gene expression was significantly elevated in the study group in the molecular analysis (p<0,01). No significant differences were detected regarding CXCR3 (p=0,07). IHC staining confirmed overexpression of CXCL10 chemokine in endometrial tissue of EC patients (p<0,01). Additionally, expression of CXCL10 was higher in the subgroup of patients with an invasion exceeding 50% of myometrium (p=0,024). No significant differences were observed in the stromal tissue (p=0,22).

Conclusion Overexpression of CXCL10 in non-advanced EC might be considered a favourable prognostic factor, as according to literature, CXCL10 plays a role in an inhibition of malignant transformation in various neoplasms. This is supported by an observation of higher expression of CXCL10 in cases with <50% myometrial invasion. Role of CXCL10-CXCR3 axis in EC pathogenesis requires further research in advanced cases.

Disclosures The study was funded by Medical University of Bialystok from Polish Ministry of Science and Education grant SUB/1/DN/21/001/1129. Local bioethics committee approval R-I-002/132/2019.