Myoferlin Expression and Its Correlation with FIGO Histologic Grading in Early-Stage Endometrioid Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: For endometrioid carcinoma patients, International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) histologic grading is very important for identifying the appropriate treatment method. However, the interobserver discrepancy with this three-tiered grading system is a serious potential problem. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry to analyze the relationship between FIGO histologic grading score and myoferlin expression. METHODS: We studied the endometrioid carcinoma tissues of 60 patients from Gyeongsang National University Hospital between January 2002 and December 2009. Immunohistochemical analysis of myoferlin was performed on tissue microarray blocks from surgical specimens. RESULTS: Myoferlin expression was observed in 58 of 60 patients. Moderate and strong myoferlin expression was observed in low-grade endometrioid carcinoma, while there was a tendency toward loss of myoferlin expression in high-grade endometrioid carcinoma (p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that myoferlin loss is significantly correlated with high FIGO grade of endometrioid carcinoma.