Prognostic Significance of Actinin-4 Protein Expression and Gene Amplification in Endometrial Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of actinin-4 in endometrial carcinoma. Actinin-4, an actin-binding protein involved in cytoskeletal dynamics, has been implicated in the progression of various cancers; however, its precise role in endometrial carcinoma is not fully understood. This research sought to evaluate actinin-4 protein expression and gene amplification and correlate these findings with clinicopathological parameters and patient survival to determine its prognostic value.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on endometrial carcinoma patients who underwent surgical resection. Actinin-4 protein expression was assessed using immunohistochemical staining (IHC), and ACTN4 gene amplification was evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The intensity of actinin-4 staining was graded, and gene amplification of ACTN4 was defined using the ACTN4/CEP19 ratio. Statistical analysis, including Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling, was performed to correlate actinin-4 expression with clinicopathological features and survival outcomes.

RESULTS

Overexpression of actinin-4 protein by IHC was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage and histological subtypes. While no significant difference was observed in overall survival (OS), patients with high actinin-4 IHC demonstrated significantly poorer progression-free survival (PFS). ACTN4 gene amplification by FISH was significantly associated with poorer prognosis for both OS and PFS compared to the group without amplification.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that actinin-4 plays a role in the progression of endometrial carcinoma, particularly influencing tumor aggressiveness and progression-free survival.