title: Is potential to produce inhibins related to prognosis in ovarian granulosa cell tumors?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prognosis of ovarian granulosa cell tumors is difficult to predict by conventional histological methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  The tumors of 30 patients operated on for a granulosa cell tumor were retrospectively studied for the expression of the inhibin alpha-subunit. The immunohistochemical staining results were correlated to the FIGO stage of the tumor and the prognosis of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six (87%) of the ovarian granulosa cell tumors stained positively for the inhibin alpha-subunit. All FIGO stage I and II tumors expressed inhibin alpha-subunit. All FIGO stage I and II tumors expressed inhibin, whereas the majority of stages III and IV did not (p=0.001, chi2-test). The survival of the patients with inhibin immunopositive tumors was significantly longer (median 183 months, SE 41, p=0.000, log rank test) than that of patients without inhibin expression (median 2.5 months, SE 5.25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with ovarian granulosa cell tumors with a potential to produce the inhibin alpha-subunit may have a more favorable prognosis than those with inhibin immunonegative tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ala-Fossi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aine
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Punnonen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mäenpää
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006106:Granulosa Cell Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007265:Inhibins / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007265:Inhibins