Expression immunohistochemical study of ca-125 in endometrial hyperplasia in correlation to its grade and progressive endometrial carcinoma

Abstract EN

CA-125 tumor marker is encountered in most patients with ovarian carcinoma and little has been reported about its role in endometrial carcinoma.

This study was designed to assess the immunohistochemical expression of CA-125 in paraffin blocks of patients with endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma and to clarify any correlation between these two conditions.

Forty four patients with different grades of endometrial hyperplasia ranging from 38 to 56 years and 16 cases of endometrial carcinoma ranging from 48 to 69 years were included in this study and conducted in Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Kufa University, during the period from December 2001 to November 2003.

CA-125 tumor marker immunohistochemical overexpression was reported in 38.6% of endometrial hyperplasia and 62.5% of endometrial carcinoma, it looks to be more frequently reported in those with adenomatous and atypical types than simple cystic type, and well correlation has been reported between the intensity of expression and the grade of endometrial hyperplasia as well as endometrial carcinoma.

We conclude that endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma may share the same pathogenesis in some aspect.

CA-125 tumor marker expression could be considered as an early predictive parameter for the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma and could be used as screening test for assessment of malignant potential of endometrial hyperplasia.

Up to our knowledge, we didn’t found any published study regarding CA-125 immunohistochemistry in endometrial hyperplasia in Iraq and surrounding areas.