Immunohistochemical detection of HSP60-expression in human ovarian cancer. Correlation with survival in a series of 247 patients.
OBJECTIVE
In a previous pilot study, HSP60 expression at the transcriptional (mRNA) level was shown to be a negative prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. The aim of this study was to determine HSP60-expression by means of immunohistochemistry and to correlate the results with survival in a large series of ovarian carcinoma patients with a closed follow-up.


METHODS
Slides from routinely processed, paraffin-embedded tumor blocks belonging to 247 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma were studied for the overexpression of HSP60 using the Lk2 monoclonal antibody and the strepatvidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. HSP60-expression was correlated with overall survival by means of life-table analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
47 tumors (19%) expressed HSP60. Of them, 12/29 (41.4% positivity) were stage I tumors, whereas only 35 out of the remaining 218 tumors in more advanced surgical stage (16.1%) showed HSP60 staining. This difference was statistically significant (Fisher s exact test; p = 0.004). Even when stratifying stage for stage, the difference between groups still remained statistically significant (Chi square test; p = 0.0095). The survival curve analysis showed a significant difference in favor of those tumors expressing HSP60 (median survival 28 vs. 37 months; log-rank test, p = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Immunohistochemical detection of HSP60-expression in human epithelial ovarian carcinoma is significantly more frequent in tumors from patients with initial stages of the disease. Therefore, HSP60-expression determined by this method is associated with a significantly better prognosis.
Schneider
J
J
Universidad del Pais Vasco, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Especialidades Medico-Quirùrgicas, Bilbao, Spain. gepscfoj@lg.ehu.es
Jiménez
E
E
Marenbach
K
K
Romero
H
H
Marx
D
D
Meden
H
H
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000032:analysis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015993:Life Tables; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins