FcRn Expression in Endometrial Cancer and Its Association with Clinicopathologic Features

Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) has robust molecular diagnostic evidence that correlates well with prognosis. In various types of cancers, FcRn has been identified as an early marker for prognosis. This study aims to assess FcRn expression and its association with clinicopathological features in endometrial cancer.

Materials and methods: We employed a tissue microarray (TMA) from a retrospective cohort of 41 patients diagnosed with endometrioid endometrial cancer post hysterectomy between January 2002 and December 2009 at Gyeongsang National University Hospital. Relevant clinical data collection for the cohort involved reviewing patients' electronic medical charts. FcRn expression in microarrays of patient EC tissue was examined in conjunction with clinicopathologic data. Experiments, including siRNA knock-down, PCR mRNA semiquantification, Western blot, and confluence change tests, were conducted on the Ishikawa cell line.

Results: The overall FcRn expression rate in EC patients was 41.8%. FIGO stage showed a statistically significant relationship with FcRn expression, while age, lymphovascular invasion, myometrial invasion, and tumor size had no effect. In endometrioid cancer cells of FIGO stage IA, FcRn was less frequently expressed than in other high-staged EC patients (p = 0.021). In experiments on the Ishikawa cell line, the siRNA knock-down group exhibited quantitatively lower FCGRT mRNA expression and lower FcRn protein signal compared to the scrambled RNA control group. The change in confluence over time measured at three hotspots did not show a significant difference between groups.

Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the initial assessment of FcRn expression in endometrioid EC samples. FcRn expression was significantly associated with the FIGO stage. Ishikawa cell line proliferation did not significantly change in response to decreased FcRn expression. Further studies are needed to elucidate FcRn expression in EC as a potential molecular parameter.