Can EBP50 and Merlin be used as diagnostic and prognostic markers for uterine smooth muscle tumors?

Abstract

Uterine smooth muscle tumors are common neoplasms of smooth muscle in the uterus. They range from benign leiomyomas and their variants to malignant leiomyosarcomas. Although there are many subtypes of leiomyoma, mitotically active leiomyoma and leiomyoma with bizarre nuclei are sometimes difficult to differentiate from leiomyosarcoma. Our aim in this study was to investigate whether EBP50 and Merlin expression can be used in the differential diagnosis of uterine smooth muscle tumors and to determine their prognostic significance. Our study analyzed 80 cases diagnosed with uterine smooth muscle tumors from the Pathology Department archive of Dicle University Faculty of Medicine between 2012 and 2023. Primary antibodies EBP50 and Merlin were used in the immunohistochemical study. Information regarding patient age, treatment, and clinical follow-up was obtained from Dicle University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Dicle University Department of Medical Oncology. Our study revealed that EBP50 expression was significantly higher in the leiomyosarcoma and STUMP groups, while Merlin expression was significantly higher in only the leiomyosarcoma group. Prognostic parameters were not found to be associated with EBP50 and Merlin expression levels. EBP50 and Merlin expression levels have not been previously studied in uterine smooth muscle tumors. Our study suggests that high expression of EBP50 in STUMP and leiomyosarcoma, as well as Merlin in leiomyosarcoma, may be helpful in the differential diagnosis of uterine smooth muscle tumors.

Keywords:

• EBP50
• Merlin
• NHERF1
• NF2
• leiomyosarcoma

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

All authors contributed significantly to the work and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. UA and ANK made substantial contributions to the conception and design of the work. UA, ANK, RG, IY and ZU were involved in project management, literature search, data acquisition, interpretation, drafting, and reviewing of the manuscript. UA and ANK were involved in visualization. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [UA], upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.