A Study Of Expression Of CK20 MRNA In Endometrial Cancer And In Its Lymph Nodes

Objective To study the expression of Cytokeratin 20 mRNA in endometrial cancer and to elucidate the feasibility and significance of detecting cytokeratin gene (CK20 mRNA)expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in lymph nodes of endometrial carcinoma patients.Methods We used the nested Reverse Transcription - Polymerase Chain Reaction (nested RT-PCR) method to detect the expression of CK20 mRNA in cancer cells from 40 patients and in 92 lymph nodes from 17 patients with endometrial carcinoma , the sensitivity of this system was investigated with limited serial dilution method.Results (1) The rate of CK20 mRNA expression in endometrial cancer was 90%(36/40) and no relationship was observed with histological types (P>0.05). With the decrease of differentiation of adenocarcinoma, the positive rate of CK20 mRNA increased(P<0. 05). (2) The positive rates of detecting metastases in the lymph nodes were 16. 3% by nested RT-PCR and 7. 6% by routine pathologic examination(P<0. 05). Of 85 lymph nodes in which routine pathologic examination failed to find any tumour cell, 8 were found to have micrometastasis by CK20 nested RT-PCR. The metastasis in lymph nodes were detected in 4 cases and 6 cases by routine pathologic examination and by CK20 nested RT-PCR. The expression of CK20 mRNA in lymph nodes of Stage I endometrail cancer was not related to either histological grade or depth of myometrial invasion(P>0. 05) . (3) No positive results were obtained in all 10 lymph nodes from patients without cancer. The expression of CK20 mRNA were respectively negative and positive in PJHR-1 lymph cell line and gastric ring cell carcinoma cell line . (4) The detection sensitivity of this system wasabout one cancer cell in 105lymph cells .Conclusions (1) CK20 may be considered as a powerful biomarker in detection of micrometastasis in lymph nodes of patients with endometrial cancer. (2) RT-PCR of CK20 was more sensitive than routine pathologic examination in the diagnosis of micrometastasis in lymph nodes of patients with endometrial carcinoma and may provide a guiding significance in staging, treatment planning and prognosis estimation of endometrial carcinoma patients.Postgraduate Zhao Xiufen (Gyneacology) Directed by Prof Ji Xinqiang Prof Luo Bing...