Evaluation of PTEN and CD4+FOXP3+T cell expressions as diagnostic and predictive factors in endometrial cancer: A case control study

Abstract

To evaluate the potential role of Pten and CD4+FOXP3+ T cells in prognosis from endometrial cancer. Tissue samples and clinical data were collected from 200 patients with endometrial cancer and 100 control patients with benign uterine diseases. The expressions of Pten and CD4+FOXP3+ T cells were quantified by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. After surgery, all patients were followed up for an average of 56.3 months. Surgical effects were evaluated based on the patients' symptoms and signs. A two-sided P value < .05 was considered significant. Pten diminished and CD4+FOXP3+ T cells significantly accumulated with the progression of endometial cancer, in comparison to the controls. Moreover, Pten expression was negatively correlated with the count of CD4+FOXP3+ T cells. Pten and CD4+FOXP3+ T cells were correlated with clinical characteristics, including tumor stage, differentiation and associated with patients' disease-free survival. Limited data were available between the expressions of Pten and CD4+FOXP3+ T cells in patients with endometrial cancer. Our study findings suggested that the expressions of Pten and CD4+FOXP3+ T cells might become possible biomarkers for the diagnosis and prediction in endometrial cancer. Abbreviations: BMI = body mass index, CA-125 = carbohydrate antigen 125, CA19-9 = carbohydrate antigen 19-9, CEA = carcinoembryonic antigen, DFS = disease-free survival.