자궁내막증 판별에 대한 표지자로 β-catenin에 대한 연구 = β-catanin is a Specific Marker for The Detection of Endometriosis : An Immunohistochemistry study

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Backgrounds: β-catenin, a member of the catenin family, is an adhesion molecule normally present in the sub-plasmalemmal cell membrane. It is abnormally transferred to the nuclei when the adenomatous polyposis coli pathway, on which it depends, is altered. Abnormal β-catenin expression is documented in fibromatosis, intestinal polyps and endometrial carcinoma. The diagnosis of endometriosis is usually straightforward. However, it may be difficult to distinguish between endometriosis and other entities when the epithelial component is scare. There is currently no other marker that helps support the diagnosis of endometriosis. Design: This study aimed at: (a) determining whether β-catenin can identify normal endometrial tissue (proliferative phases and secretory phases), and (b) Validating the potential utility of β-catenin in identifying the stroma and glands in endometriosis. In addition to 22 cases of normal endometrial tissue. We tested 46 cases of endometriosis using β-catenin antibody (clone 14, transduction Labs) via immunohistochemistry. Results: 43 out of 46 cases of endometriosis showed Co-expression of β-catenin on both the gland and storma (either nuclear or membranous pattern). In the remaining 3 cases, β-catenin's expression was only focal. The stroma in 21 out of 22 cases of normal endometrium was detected by β-catenin, showing either a membranous or nuclear signal. In only 1 case, the signal distribution was very focal. No of the internal negative control tissues (ovarian stroma, myometrium) showed any significant levels of β-catenin expression. Conclusion: This study shows that β-catenin can successfully detect the glandular and stromal components of endometriosis, with a striking contrast to surrounding tissue, resulting in a very 'clean' background. β-catenin, thus, has the potential of identifying these lesions in morphologically equivocal situations. The mechanisms of abnormal expression of β-catenin on the stroma of endometriosis is unclear, and warrants further investigations.