title: p21/WAF1 expression as related to p53, cell proliferation and prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: The role and prognostic value of the tumour suppressor p21/WAF1 expression in epithelial ovarian cancer has not yet been defined. Therefore, the expression of p21/WAF1 was assessed immunohistochemically (IHC) in 316 epithelial ovarian malignancies in relation to p53, cell proliferation and patient survival. p21/WAF1 expression was inversely correlated with p53 and cell proliferation. Low p21/WAF1 expression was significantly associated with high grade of the tumour (P = 0.0005), advanced FIGO stage (P = 0.001) and primary residual tumour (P = 0.0001). Low p21/WAF1 expression was a marker of poor overall survival (P = 0.012). Similarly, p53-positivity and high cell proliferative activity were significant predictors of poor survival in univariate analyses. Moreover, the patients with p21-/p53+ tumours had a poorer overall (P < 0.00005) and recurrence-free (P = 0.0005) survival in univariate analyses, and the p21/p53 expression independently predicted tumour recurrence in Cox's multivariate analysis. Our results suggest that p21/WAF1 expression is mostly p53-dependent in epithelial ovarian cancer. High p21/WAF1 expression seems to function as a negative cell cycle regulator and as a marker of favourable disease outcome in epithelial ovarian cancer. In addition, the patients with their tumour expressing no or low p21/WAF1 protein but positive for p53 had a notably higher risk of recurrent disease, implicating that these patients might be more prone to treatment failures.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Anttila
authors: V M
authors: VM
authors: Kosma
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Hongxiu
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Puolakka
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Juhola
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Saarikoski
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Syrjänen
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D016158:Genes, p53; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen