ENDOMETRIAL ADENOCARCINOMA OF ENDOMETRIOID SUBTYPE WITH SQUAMOUS DIFFERENTIATION - AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF MIB-1 (KI-67 PARAFFIN), CATHEPSIN-D, AND C-ERBB-2 PROTEIN (P185)

Differences in the immunohistochemical expression of Cathepsin D,C-erb B-2 protein (p185), and growth fraction (MIB-1) in glandular and squam ous epithelium in adenocarcinoma of endometrioid subtype were studied together with Cathepsin D in macrophages. The findings were correlated with conventional prognostic parameters. A search for human papilloma virus (HPV) (probes 6/11, 16/18, and 31/33/51) by in situ hybridizati on was also performed. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues fr om 61 adenocarcinomas with > 10% squamous epithelium were studied. MIB -1 was very low in squamous epithelium, no correlation was found betwe en MIB-1 in squamous and glandular epithelium, and only the glandular epithelium correlated with depth of invasion and stage, indicating tha t glands are most important with regard to prognosis. Cathepsin D expr ession in macrophages was significantly increased in advanced stage an d may be of prognostic value, but more studies on tissue sections are needed to evaluate the relationship between its expression in tumor ce lls and other cells. p185 showed no value as a prognosticator. Finally , our study found HPV infrequently in endometrial carcinomas.