Expression of laminin-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in benign and malignant endometrium

Q: What was the study objective regarding laminin-1 and MMP-9?

The study aimed to investigate expression levels of laminin-1 and MMP-9 as potential indicators in the progression from benign to malignant endometrium.

Q: How were laminin-1 and MMP-9 assessed in the tissue samples?

Paraffin blocks were immunostained with laminin-1 and MMP-9 antibodies, followed by evaluation of basement membrane continuity for laminin-1 and the percentage and intensity of MMP-9 expression in epithelial cytoplasm.

Q: What key differences were observed between benign and malignant endometrium?

Basement membrane continuity for laminin-1 was higher in benign tissue than malignant tissue, and MMP-9 showed low or high immunoreactivity in malignant endometrium while high staining was not observed in benign cases.

Sep 24, 2026

Upload by Quinn Holloway

A case-control research article investigates laminin-1 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 expression in benign versus malignant endometrium. Tissue sections from benign subtypes and malignant histologic types were immunostained for laminin-1 and MMP-9 and evaluated for basement membrane continuity and MMP-9 percentage and intensity. Laminin-1 continuity was markedly reduced in malignant tissue, while MMP-9 was consistently expressed in cancers but not showing high staining in benign endometrium.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Background/aim

Materials and methods

Results

Conclusion

Key words

1. Introduction

| | Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences [http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/medical/](http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/medical/) | Turk J Med Sci (2023) 53: 149-159 © TÜBİTAK | | --- | --- | --- | | |
Research Article | doi:10.55730/1300-0144.5568 | Expression of laminin-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in benign and malignant endometrium Zehra KÜÇÜKAYDIN1􀁂 , Mustafa BAŞARAN2􀁂 , Yaşar ÜNLÜ3􀁂 , Ahmet BAŞARAN2􀁂 , Mertihan KURDOĞLU4,*􀁂 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Private Konya Anıt Hospital, Konya, Turkey 2 Başaran Clinic, Konya, Turkey 3 Department of Pathology, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey 4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey Received: 17.03.2022 Accepted/Published Online: 30.11.2022 Final Version: 22.02.2023 Background/aim: Laminin-1 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 may play roles in the progression from benign to malignant endometrium, so we aimed to investigate their levels of expression in these tissues. Materials and methods: This case-control study was conducted at a tertiary care center between January 2014 and December 2016. Paraffin blocks of 50 specimens of benign endometrium with proliferative (n = 20), secretory (n = 11), and atrophic (n = 5) endometrium; simple endometrial hyperplasia without atypia (n = 12); and endometrial polyp (n = 2) histology and 49 specimens of malignant endometrium with endometrioid (n = 40), serous (n = 7), clear cell (n = 1), and undifferentiated (n = 1) types were immunostained with laminin-1 and MMP-9 antibodies and assessed for basement membrane continuity for laminin-1 and the percentage and intensity of MMP-9 expression in epithelial cytoplasm. Results: Laminin-1 continuity in the basement membrane was higher in benign (92%) compared to malignant (16.3%) endometrium (p < 0.0001) without any difference between the subgroups within each group (p > 0.05). All atrophic endometria and endometrial polyps and 23.5% of low grade endometrioid and none of the other endometrial cancers showed uninterrupted basement membrane staining with laminin-1. All cases in malignant endometrium expressed MMP-9 with either low or high immunoreactivity while none of the cases in benign endometrium showed a high staining with MMP-9 (p < 0.01) . Proliferative and hyperplastic endometrium together with grade 1 endometrioid cancer expressed MMP-9 better than the atrophic endometrium (p < 0.05) . The immunoreactivity with MMP-9 increased gradually from secretory to hyperplastic endometrium and serous carcinoma (p < 0.05) . MMP-9 expression in all types of cancers except grade 1 endometrioid and clear cell compared to proliferative endometrium was significantly higher (p < 0.05) and increased from proliferative to grade 2 endometrioid, grade 3 endometrioid, serous and undifferentiated endometrial carcinoma. Conclusion: Gradual increments in MMP-9 expression and basement membrane laminin-1 discontinuity may indicate progression from normal to hyperplastic and to low-and high-grade cancerous endometrium. Key words: Endometrium, endometrial neoplasms, endometrial hyperplasia, immunohistochemistry, laminin, matrix metalloproteinase 9 1. Introduction In order to be able to achieve host tissue invasion and metastasize distantly, endometrial cancer cells have to attach to basement membrane laminin, leading to production of proteolytic enzymes degrading the extracellular matrix and migration across the basement membrane [1] . Laminin, the main noncollagenous glycoprotein and major constituent of all basement membranes with collagen IV, exists in multiple isoforms, among which laminin-1 (α1β 1γ 1) appears to be almost limitedly expressed in epithelial basement membranes [2] . In tumor invasion and metastasis, the key event, * [Correspondence: mkurdoglu@yahoo.com](Correspondence: mkurdoglu@yahoo.com) interaction of cancerous cells with laminin, is moderated by nonintegrin and integr

FAQs

What was the study objective regarding laminin-1 and MMP-9?

The study aimed to investigate expression levels of laminin-1 and MMP-9 as potential indicators in the progression from benign to malignant endometrium.

How were laminin-1 and MMP-9 assessed in the tissue samples?

Paraffin blocks were immunostained with laminin-1 and MMP-9 antibodies, followed by evaluation of basement membrane continuity for laminin-1 and the percentage and intensity of MMP-9 expression in epithelial cytoplasm.

What key differences were observed between benign and malignant endometrium?

Basement membrane continuity for laminin-1 was higher in benign tissue than malignant tissue, and MMP-9 showed low or high immunoreactivity in malignant endometrium while high staining was not observed in benign cases.

Sep 24, 2026

Upload by Quinn Holloway