EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF GYNAECOLOGICAL ONCOLOGY, vol.29, no.5, pp.444-449, 2008 (Journal Indexed in SCI)
Objective: To study whether endometrioid type malignant endometrial polyps (MEP) are different from endometrium cancer not associated with polyps (ECNAP) in means of immunohistochemical expressions of MMP-2. MMP-9 and COX-2. Methods: Archived tissue samples of eight MER eight ECNAP and 16 benign endometrial polyps were selected and immunohistochemically analyzed for MMP-2, MMP-9 and COX-2 expression. Results: MMP-2 and MMP-9 were overexpressed in ECNAP compared to MEP and benign endometrial polyps (p < 0.05). MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions were not different in the malignant part of MEP, benign part of MEP and benign endometrial polyps. COX-2 expression was found to be higher in benign lesions, although this was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Similar immunohistochemical expression of MMP-2. MMP-9 and COX-2 within a polyp and with benign polyps may indicate an immunohistochemically indolent characteristic of MEP.