K-ras Gene Mutations And P21 Protein Expression And Malignant Transformation Of Endometriosis Relations,

Objective:To clarify the relationship between K-ras mutation,p21 protein expression and the malignant transformation of endometriosis.Method:K-ras mutations and expression of p21 protein were detected in 3 cases of ovarian endometrioid carcinomas and 3 cases of ovarian clear cell carcinomas associated with endometriosis using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) and immunohistochemical streptavidin-peroxidase technique(S-P).The findings were compared between the 10 cases of ovarian endometrioid carcinomas unrelated to endometriosis and 15 cases of ovarian clear cell carcinomas unrelated to endometriosis,7 cases of atypical endometriosis and 15 cases ovarian endometriosis.Results:1.GGT to TGT mutation at codon 12 of the K-ras gene was found in one ovarian endometrioid carcinomas and one in ovarian clear cell carcinomas associated with endometriosis,resulting in valine to cysteine substitution.All other cases showed no K-ras mutation.All tumors had a wild-type codon 13.2. p21 expression was significantly higher in ovarian endometrioid carcinomas associated with endometriosis than in other groups(P=0.015770,P<0.05),and also p21 expression was significantly higher in ovarian clear cell carcinomas associated with endometriosis than in other groups(P=0.022590,P<0.05).Conclusions:1.K-ras mutations may be associated with malignant transformation of Endometriosis.2.The different pattern of expression of p21 in the ovarian tumours associated with endometriosis and ovarian tumours unrelated to endometriosis suggests that different molecular pathways may be involved in their pathogenesis.The over-expression of p21 may be involved in malignant transformation of endometriosis.