EXPRESSION OF SEX HORMONES RECEPTORS IN LEIOMYOMA WITH UNCERTAIN POTENTIAL OF MALIGNANCY AND ENDOMETRIAL LEIOMYOSARCOMA: DIFFERENTIATIAL DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS
A retrospective evaluation of progesterone (PR) and α-estrogen (ER) expression was carried out in 16 patients with smooth muscle tumors with uncertain potential of malignancy (STUMP) and 76 patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS). PR expression was observed in 100% of intact myometrium and leiomyoma samples, while ER was expressed only in 37.1±4.2% and 23.5±4.1% of samples. In STUMP samples PR expression was observed in 66.7±11.7% of cases, in ULMS samples in 50.5±5.7% of cases. However, there was an inverse correlation between malignancy grade and sex hormones expression, although the number of positive cells and staining intensity didn't prove to be independent risk factors. The patients with ULMS G1 and STUMP expressing sex hormones have favorable prognosis, while negative receptor status of STUMP tumors is the marker of the worse prognosis.