OBJECTIVETo detect the expression of human similar expression to FGF gene(hSef) and fibroblast growth factor-2(FGF-2) and their correlation with epithelial ovarian tumor.

METHODSImmunohistochemical SP staining was used to detect the expression of hSef and FGF-2 proteins in 31 cases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC), 18 cases of benign epithelial tumor (BET), 10 cases of normal ovarian (NO) tissues collected from July 2007 to May 2008. The expression of hSef mRNA in 24 cases of EOC, BET and NO collected from July 2008 to May 2009 were analyzed by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe results of immunohistochemical study showed that the expression of hSef in the EOC tissues were significantly lower than that in the NO and BET (P < 0.001). However, the expression of FGF-2 was higher (P = 0.002). The expression of hSef had a negative correlation with FGF-2 (r(s) = -0.324, P = 0.012). The RT-PCR results showed that there was a gradually declined trend of expression of hSef in NO, BET to EOC (P < 0.001), but the expression of FGF-2 in NO, BET to EOC was gradually increased (P < 0.001), with a significant negative correlation (NO: r(s) = -0.910, P < 0.001; BET: r(s) = -0.859, P < 0.001; EOC: r(s) = -0.888, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThe expression of hSef is decreased in epithelial ovarian carcinoma tissue, but the expression of FGF-2 is increased. It is likely that low hSef expression is related to the the carcinogenesis and development of epithelial ovarian carcinoma by suppressing the promoting effects of FGF-2 to cell proliferation.

Adult ; Aged ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cystadenoma, Mucinous ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cystadenoma, Serous ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Middle Aged ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Ovary ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Interleukin ; genetics ; metabolism

Coexpression of Kit ligand and c-kit has been reported in some gynecologic tumors. To determine whether imatinib mesylate is useful in ovarian epithelial tumors, we performed immunohistochemical and mutational analysis. The cases consisted of 33 cases, which included 13 serous cystadenocarcinomas, 1 borderline serous tumor, 8 mucinous cystadenocarcinomas, 6 borderline mucinous tumors and 5 clear cell carcinomas. Five cases of serous cystadenoma and 5 cases of mucinous cystadenoma were also included. In the immunohistochemical study, 3 cases (3/6, 50%) of borderline mucinous cystic tumor and two cases (2/8, 25%) of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma show positive staining for KIT protein. Only one case (1/13, 7.7%) of serous cystadenocarcinoma had positive staining. On mutational analysis, no mutation was identified at exon 11. However, two cases of borderline mucinous tumors and one case of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma had mutations at exon 17. In these cases, the immunohistochemistry also shows focal positive staining at epithelial component. Although, KIT protein expression showed higher incidence in mucinous tumors than serous tumors, they lack KIT-activating mutations in exon 11. Thus, ovarian surface epithelial tumors are unlikely to respond to imatinib mesylate.
Adult ; Aged ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous/genetics/metabolism/pathology ; Cystadenoma, Mucinous/genetics/metabolism/pathology ; Cystadenoma, Serous/genetics/metabolism/pathology ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA, Neoplasm/chemistry/genetics ; Epithelial Cells/chemistry/metabolism/pathology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics/metabolism/*pathology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit/biosynthesis/*genetics

OBJECTIVEto investigate the expression of folate receptor(FR)α in ovarian epithelial tumors and its clinopathological significance.

METHODStissue microarrays (TMAs) were constructed from 86 epithelial ovarian cancers and 29 borderline ovarian tumors, followed by the FRα expression evaluation by immunohistochemistry. FRα mRNA expression was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR using fresh-frozen tissues from 40 cases of ovarian carcinoma and 14 cases of borderline tumor. FRα expression levels in ovarian tumors were also analyzed in correlation with tumor morphology, pathogenesis and FIGO stage.

RESULTSFRα expression was detected in 40 of 86 (46.5%) of ovarian cancers, with the highest rate of expression observed in serous carcinomas (62.7%, 32/51) compared with that of the other cancer types (P = 0.000). Depending on pathogenesis type, FRα expressions in type II ovarian carcinomas were significantly higher than those in type I ovarian carcinomas (P = 0.001). Ovarian carcinomas had a tendency to express higher FRα than the borderline tumors (46.5% vs 27.6%), although statistically not significant (P = 0.074). FRα expressions in ovarian carcinomas showed no correlation with the FIGO stage (P = 0.498). However, real-time PCR showed that FRα mRNA levels were significantly higher in ovarian carcinomas compared with that of the borderline tumors (P = 0.000) and also higher in serous ovarian borderline tumors compared with mucinous type (P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONhigher level of FRα expression occurs frequently in ovarian epithelial tumors, especially in carcinomas and ovarian serous tumors.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cystadenoma, Mucinous ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cystadenoma, Serous ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Folate Receptor 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Young Adult