Over-expression of Rac GTPase activating protein 1 in human endometrial cancer.
Gynecologic cancers including cancers of the endometrium are a clinical problem (1-4). We mined published microarray data (5, 6) to discover genes associated with endometrial cancers by comparing transcriptomes of the normal endometrium and endometrial tumors from humans. We identified Rac GTPase activating protein 1, encoded by RACGAP1, as among the most differentially expressed genes, transcriptome-wide, in cancers of the endometrium. RACGAP1 was expressed at significantly higher levels in endometrial tumor tissues as compared to the endometrium. Importantly, primary tumor expression of RACGAP1 was correlated with overall survival in patients with endometrial cancer. RACGAP1 may be a molecule of interest in understanding the etiology or progression of human endometrial cancer.