Background/Objectives:Endometrial cancer (EC) is a heterogeneous gynecological malignancy characterized by varied clinical outcomes and complex molecular mechanisms. The dysregulation of cyclin K (CCNK), a key regulator of transcription and cell cycle progression, has been implicated in cancer development. This study aimed to investigate CCNK expression at the protein level in EC tissues and at the mRNA level using in silico analysis. Additionally, the prognostic significance of CCNK expression in EC was assessed.Methods:CCNK expression was evaluated using immunohistochemical analysis and mRNA expression profiling in EC tissues, adjacent non-tumorous tissues, and histologically normal endometrial tissues. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on tissue macroarrays, and protein expression was quantified using the Immunoreactivity Score (IRS). mRNA expression analysis was conducted in silico using TCGA data via UCSC Xena and UALCAN web tool. Pathway enrichment was analyzed using Reactome and DAVID tool, while PPI networks were constructed with STRING and Cytoscape. Statistical analyses, including Mann–Whitney U test, Fisher’s exact test, Chi-square test, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, and Cox regression, were performed using GraphPad Prism.Results:Immunohistochemical analysis revealed significantly elevated CCNK protein expression in tumor tissues, particularly in advanced-stage cases, correlating with adverse pathological features such as higher tumor stage and FIGO grade. High CCNK protein expression was significantly associated with poorer OS in the overall EC cohort and non-endometrioid subtypes, whereas no significant association was observed in endometrioid subtypes. mRNA expression analysis demonstrated significantly higherCCNKlevels in non-endometrioid tumors compared to adjacent non-tumorous tissues, but no significant correlation with OS was observed. Functional enrichment analysis highlighted the involvement ofCCNK-associated genes in RNA metabolism and transcriptional regulation.Conclusions:These findings emphasize the prognostic value of CCNK expression in EC, particularly in aggressive subtypes. The results suggest that CCNK may serve as a potential therapeutic target, warranting further investigation into its role in EC progression and treatment strategies.
**背景/目的：** 子宫内膜癌是一种异质性妇科恶性肿瘤，其临床结局多样且分子机制复杂。细胞周期蛋白K作为转录和细胞周期进程的关键调节因子，其失调与癌症发生发展相关。本研究旨在通过免疫组织化学分析EC组织中CCNK的蛋白表达水平，并利用生物信息学方法分析其mRNA表达水平。此外，评估了CCNK表达在EC中的预后意义。 **方法：** 使用免疫组织化学分析和mRNA表达谱技术，评估了EC组织、癌旁非肿瘤组织及组织学正常子宫内膜组织中CCNK的表达。对组织芯片进行免疫组化染色，并使用免疫反应评分对蛋白表达进行量化。通过UCSC Xena和UALCAN网络工具利用TCGA数据进行生物信息学mRNA表达分析。使用Reactome和DAVID工具进行通路富集分析，并使用STRING和Cytoscape构建蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用网络。使用GraphPad Prism软件进行统计分析，包括Mann-Whitney U检验、Fisher精确检验、卡方检验、Kaplan-Meier生存分析和Cox回归分析。 **结果：** 免疫组化分析显示，肿瘤组织中CCNK蛋白表达显著升高，尤其在晚期病例中，并与更高的肿瘤分期和FIGO分级等不良病理特征相关。在整个EC队列和非子宫内膜样亚型中，高CCNK蛋白表达与较差的总生存期显著相关，而在子宫内膜样亚型中未观察到显著关联。mRNA表达分析表明，非子宫内膜样肿瘤中的CCNK水平显著高于癌旁非肿瘤组织，但与总生存期无显著相关性。功能富集分析强调了CCNK相关基因参与RNA代谢和转录调控。 **结论：** 这些发现强调了CCNK表达在EC，特别是侵袭性亚型中的预后价值。结果表明CCNK可能作为一个潜在的治疗靶点，值得进一步研究其在EC进展和治疗策略中的作用。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家