Jesús Áncer Rodríguez

Immunohistochemical expression of mdm2 and p21WAF1 in invasive cervical cancer: correlation with p53 protein and high risk HPV infection.

AIM: To investigate the immunocytochemical staining pattern of mdm2 and p21WAF1 proteins in invasive cervical cancer and to determine its relation with the expression of p53 and with the high risk HPV infection. METHODS: Immunocytochemistry for p53, mdm2, and p21WAF1 was performed in 31 paraffin embedded sections of invasive cervical cancer. The results were assessed by image analysis, evaluating for each protein the optical density of the immunostained area, scored as percentage of the total nuclear area. The presence of high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection was detected by using the polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Immunostaining for both mdm2 and p21WAF1 was correlated with p53 expression; however, the correlation between p53 and mdm2 (R = 0.49; p < 0.01) was more significant than between p53 and p21WAF1 (R = 0.31; p < 0.05); the less stringent correlation between p53 and p21WAF1 might reflect the p53 independent mechanisms of p21WAF1 induction. Similar average levels of p53, mdm2, and p21WAF1 immunostaining were found in the presence or absence of high risk HPV-DNA, without significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that mdm2 and p21WAF1 proteins are expressed in invasive cervical cancer and that their immunocytochemical staining pattern is not abrogated by the presence of high risk HPV genomic sequences.

Overexpression of the matrix metalloproteinase 11 gene is a potential biomarker for type 1 endometrial cancer

Metalloproteinase matrix 11 (MMP11) is a member of the matrix metalloproteinase family, which are able to degrade extracellular matrix components, and may serve a central function in the enhancement of tumor-induced angiogenesis, cell migration, proliferation, apoptosis and connective tissue degradation. In the present study, MMP11 gene expression was investigated using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in 68 cases of type I endometrial carcinoma, and all data were analyzed in association with clinical characteristics. Overexpression of MMP11 was demonstrated in 75%, and sub-expression was demonstrated in 25%, of endometrial cancer cases. Sub-expression cases were associated with good histological parameters, including low histological grade (G1 and G2), early pathological stage, and absence of vascular invasion, metastasis and recurrence. In total, 76.4% of endometrial cancer cases with sub-expression were identified as early stage 1A and B; however, 23.6% of cases were identified as stage 2, with vascular invasion present in 29.4% of cases. On the other hand, cases which demonstrated overexpression with high ranges (>10 times more than control) were associated with adverse histopathological characteristics, including high grade tumor (G3) and vascular invasion. In conclusion, the increased expression of MMP11 may be used as a prognostic biomarker in patients with type 1 endometrial cancer.