Immunohistochemical Expressions of ER, PR and ALDH1 in Endometrial Hyperplasia and Carcinoma

Epithelial stem/progenitor cells are considered as cancer initiating cells which has been detected in human endometrium, may initiate and progress endometrial carcinoma. Targeting cancer-initiating cells would be necessary to improve cure rates. The relation of endometrial adenocarcinoma and stem cell markers expression has not been reported yet, in spite of ALDH1 expression is frequently altered in malignant tumors compared to their respective healthy tissues. We studied the endometrium of 54 cases; 44 complaining of peri/postmenopausal bleeding, 10 women in proliferative and secretory phases seeking for other gynecological causes. Immunohistochemical study of the endometrium for ER, PR and ALDH1in normal, hyperplastic and endometrial carcinoma showed that there was statistical significance relation (p<0.001) between ER, PR, ALDH1 epithelial expression and clinicopathological parameters; age, myometrial depth of invasion, also between ALDH1 expression in the stroma of endometrial carcinoma and the clinicopathological parameters. It is concluded that the decline of ER and PR and significant increase in ALDH1 expression may have relation with the tumorigenesis and endometrial cancer progression mainly in type II which might be related to poor prognosis. [Sahar Aly Daoud, Hala Naguib Hosni and Amal Ahmed Hareedy. Immunohistochemical Expressions of ER, PR and ALDH1 in Endometrial Hyperplasia and Carcinoma. J Am Sci 2013;9(12):900-905]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience.org. 114