Role of exon 7 PTEN Gene in Endometrial Carcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of the female genital tract and the fourth most common cancer in Iranian women after breast, colorectal and lung cancers. Various genetic alterations appear to be early events in the pathogenesis of endometrial carcinoma and it seems that PTEN is the most commonly mutated gene in the endometrioid subtype. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between mutations in exon 7 of PTEN gene and endometrial carcinoma.

Seventy-five patients with endometrial carcinoma and 75 females whose underwent hysterectomy for non tumoral indication were selected for evaluation of PTEN mutations in exon 7 by PCR-SSCP and sequencing. Correlations between the frequency and type of mutation and the pathologic findings of the cancer (tumor subtype, stage and grade) were assessed.

All of the samples were obtained from Iranian patients. 60 % (45 cases) of the tumors were endometriod and 40% (30 cases) were of serous type. The grade distributions of the 75 cases according to the FIGO staging system were as follows: low grade, 20 cases; high grade 55 cases, low stage, 41 cases; high stage 34 cases. For exon 7 of the PTEN gene, the analysis showed that there were no mutations in our cases.

Our findings in the present study suggest that exon 7 of PTEN does not play any significant role in the development of endometrial carcinoma in Iranian cases.