ARID1A protein expression is retained in ovarian endometriosis with ARID1A loss-of-function mutations: implication for the two-hit hypothesis

ARID1A loss-of-function mutation accompanied by a loss of ARID1A protein expression is considered one of the most important driver events in endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer. Although our recent genomic study clarified that ARID1A loss-of-function mutations were detected in 13% of ovarian endometriosis, an association between the ARID1A mutation status and ARID1A protein expression in ovarian endometriosis remains unclear. We performed immunohistochemical staining for ARID1A in 78 ovarian endometriosis samples and 99 clear cell carcinoma samples. We revealed that not only 70 endometriosis samples without ARID1A mutations but also eight endometriosis samples with ARID1A loss-of-function mutations retained ARID1A protein expression. On the other hand, most of clear cell carcinomas with ARID1A loss-of-function mutations showed a loss of ARID1A protein expression. In particular, clear cell carcinoma samples which harbor multiple ARID1A loss-of-function mutations or both a single ARID1A loss-of-function mutation and ARID1A allelic imbalance lost ARID1A protein expression. However, ARID1A protein expression was retained in seven clear cell carcinomas with ARID1A loss-of-function mutations. These results suggest that a single ARID1A loss-of-function mutation is insufficient for ARID1A loss in ovarian endometriosis and some clear cell carcinoma. Further driver events may be needed for the malignant transformation of ovarian endometriosis with ARID1A loss-of-function mutations.