title: Association between fibronectin expression and prognosis in ovarian carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fibronectin is involved in tumour neovascularisation and metastasis, prevents apoptosis and is considered to be immunosuppressive. This study aimed to determine the prognostic value of fibronectin expression in ovarian carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records and archival tumour tissue from 211 German women with ovarian carcinoma were reviewed. Total fibronectin was determined immunohistochemically (clone N-294). Univariate and residual Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to correlate fibronectin expression with established prognostic indicators and overall survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fibronectin expression correlated significantly with tumour stage (p = 0.002) and tumour growth fraction (p = 0.005). The degree of expression had a significant adverse influence on overall survival even after other prognostic factors had been excluded (p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fibronectin is an important prognostic factor in ovarian cancer and may be central to tumour progression. These findings offer new treatment possibilities since several agents may antagonise the mechanism of fibronectin expression.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Langhansstrasse 10, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Folker E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Von Georgi
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zygmunt
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Münstedt
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins