title: Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV expression in epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) is a multifunctional protein kinase expressed abundantly in the central nervous system. Because changes in intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations affect progression through the mitotic cell cycle, enhanced expression of CaMKIV has been reported in small cell lung carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. To elucidate the involvement of CaMKIV in epithelial ovarian carcinogenesis, we analyzed serial frozen sections for CaMKIV protein expression in 26 patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma and ten patients with benign cystadenoma of the ovary by fluorescent immunohistochemistry. We analyzed the relationship between the percentages of CaMKIV-stained cells and the patient's characteristics, including histological classification, clinical stage, histological grade, and clinical outcome. In the benign ovarian cystadenoma, CaMKIV was detected in none of the cases examined. Most of the CaMKIV proteins were found in the nucleus of epithelial ovarian cancer tissue. CaMKIV expression was significantly associated with clinical stage (P<0.01), histological grade (P<0.01), and clinical outcome (P<0.01). Survival data were available for all patients, and univariate Cox regression analysis showed that CaMKIV expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis (P<0.05). Our results demonstrate that CaMKIV expression in epithelial ovarian cancer correlates with the malignant potential of this tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oita Medical University, 879-5593, Oita, Japan. takai@oita-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: Tami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Kaei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nasu
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miyakawa
mesh_terms: D054734:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 4; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C517683:CAMK4 protein, human; D054734:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 4; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases