Increased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in type I and type II endometrial carcinomas

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is a nuclear protein that is upregulated in many tumors and triggers biologic events intimately associated with aggressive tumor behavior. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of HIF-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Ki-67 and p53 in type I and type II endometrial adenocarcinoma. In total, 149 patients diagnosed with endometrial adenocarcinoma in our institute from 1995 to 2001 were included in this study, of which 108 were type I and 41 were type II endometrial adenocarcinoma. Patient demographics, clinical and pathological data were reviewed. Tissue microarrays were prepared from the paraffin blocks and immunohistochemistry was performed for antibodies against HIF-1α, VEGF, Ki-67 and p53. High expression of HIF-1α, VEGF, Ki-67 and p53 were significantly more frequent in type II than type I endometrial adenocarcinoma (P