Abstract

To investigate the role of the p53 gene in the development of endometrial adenocarcinoma and to study the relation between alteration of the p53 gene and histologic grade, the author studied the alteration of thep53 gene in hyperplastic lesions and adenocarcinomas of the uterine endometrium. The study was carried out with immunohistochemical stain and PCR-SSCP. The materials included ten cases of endometrial hyperplasia (five simple and five atypical complex) and 18 cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma. Overexpression of the p53 protein were found in one of five atypical complex hyperplasias (20%) and 11 of 18 adenocarcinomas (61.1%). The intensity of p53 overexpression appeared to have increasing tendency with higher histologic grade of adenocarcinomas. Among the II cases of adenocarcinoma that overexpressed p53 protien, five cases (45.5%) were found to have mutations by PCR-SSCP. One was grade 1 (20%), two were grade 11 (25%), and two were grade III (40%). The sites of mutation were three exon 8, one exon 5, and one exon 6. In conclusion, alteration of the p53 gene may paly a role in the development of endometrial adenocarcinoma and appears to occur as a late event in carcinogenesis.HHowever, inactivation of the p53 gene in early stage of tumor development cannot be excluded.

• Keywords: p53 gene;Uterine endometrium;Hyperplasia;Adenocarcinoma;PCR-SSCP;