Features of omental adipose tissue in endometrial cancer patients with 'standard' or 'metabolically healthy' obesity: associations with tumor process characteristics.

Lev M Berstein,Tatyana E Poroshina,Marina S Mukhina,Aglaya G Iyevleva,Dmitry A Vasilyev

doi:10.1186/s40064-016-3582-6

Lev M Berstein, Tatyana E Poroshina + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-016-3582-6

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Abstract

PurposeAdipose tissue products may contribute to endometrial cancer (EC) initiation and further growth that encourages the analysis of this issue in patients with different obesity phenotypes.Methods/patientsOmental fat depot characteristics were studied in EC patients (n = 57) with “standard” (SO) or “metabolically healthy” (MHO) obesity. Collected omental samples were evaluated by immunohistochemistry /IHC/ for brown fat marker UCP1, CYP19 (aromatase) and macrophage infiltration markers (CD68, CD163, crown-like structures/CLS) expression. Total RNA extracted from the same samples was investigated for UCP1, CYP19, PTEN and adipokine omentin mRNA.ResultsImmunohistochemistry data revealed a statistically significant increase in aromatase and CD68 expression and tendency to increase of UCP1 expression in SO patients’ omental fat compared to samples obtained from MHO patients. Additionally, positive correlation of EC clinical stage with UCP1 protein and its mRNA content in omental fat was pronounced in MHO as well as SO group, while with omentin mRNA it was discovered only in patients with SO. An inclination to the correlation with better tumor differentiation was seen for UCP1 and CD68 protein expression in patients with MHO and with worse (high grade) differentiation—for CD68 expression in the group with SO.ConclusionsIn aggregate, this suggests that obesity phenotype has significant impact on omental fat tissue characteristics which is related to the clinical course of EC and may have practical consequences.

Highlights

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological cancer
Positive correlation of EC clinical stage with uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) protein and its mRNA content in omental fat was pronounced in MHO as well as SO group, while with omentin mRNA it was discovered only in patients with SO
In aggregate, this suggests that obesity phenotype has significant impact on omental fat tissue characteristics which is related to the clinical course of EC and may have practical consequences

Summary

Introduction

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological cancer. It has long been a point of interest of oncologists and gynecologists, and of specialists in other fields. Concerning an importance of this aspect, Besides being the possible consequence of gradual changes in EC biology (Evans et al 2011; Berstein et al 2015), the latter ascertaining may be related to Berstein et al SpringerPlus (2016) 5:1900 another aspects of obesity problem and its study in uterine body cancer patients. Obesity is not always univocal in its manifestations and consequences, justifying in the first place the distinguishing between “standard” (SO), or insulin resistance-associated, and “metabolically healthy” (MHO) obesity phenotypes (Sims 2001; Karelis 2008) and underlining the need in their comparative considering in cancer patients including patients with EC (Berstein et al 2015; Berstein 2012; Calori et al 2011)

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