OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and C-met proteins in epithelial ovarian cancer and their significance.

METHODSThe expressions of MACC1, HGF and C-met in 20 specimens of normal ovarian tissues, 19 specimens of benign epithelial ovarian tumor and 52 specimens of epithelial ovarian cancer were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. The correlations of the expressions of MACC1, HGF and C-met protein to the clinicopathologic characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer were analyzed, and the correlations between the expressions of the 3 proteins were also evaluated.

RESULTSThe positivity rates of MACC1, HGF and C-met proteins were 73.1%, 63.5% and 78.8% in epithelial ovarian cancer with relative expressions of 0.72∓0.05, 0.64∓0.04 and 0.79∓0.04, respectively, showing significant differences from those in normal ovarian tissues and benign ovarian tumors (P<0.05). In epithelial ovarian cancer, the up-regulation of MACC1, HGF and C-met expressions were associated with advanced FIGO stage, poor differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). MACC1 expression was positively correlated to HGF (r=0.350, P=0.011) and C-met expressions (r=0.429, P=0.002), and the latter two was also positively correlated (r=0.487, P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONSMACC1 may serve as a potential biomarker for advanced ovarian cancer. Deregulation of MACC1, HGF and C-met proteins may synergistically participate in the malignant progression of epithelial ovarian cancer.