title: p53 expression, DNA ploidy and mitotic index as prognostic factors in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Biological variables linked to genomic instability were examined and related to survival in 52 patients affected by ovarian carcinoma and nine patients with low malignant potential tumors (LMP).
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA ploidy was measured by image cytometry in isolated neoplastic cells; the mitotic index was measured in Feulgen-toluidine blue-stained sections and p53 was investigated by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five tumors (4 LMP) were peridiploid (ploidy < 2.25c), 22 tumors (4 LMP) were hyperdiploid (2.25c > ploidy < 2.9c) and 14 (1 LMP) had high ploidy (> or = 2.9c). MI ranged from 0.3 to 24.2 with a mean of 1.8 for LMP and 6.8 for carcinomas (P<0.001). Widespread p53 overexpression was detected in 49% of carcinomas and in none of the LMP tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survival analysis performed in patients with carcinomas indicated that, of the examined biological variables, only MI was moderately associated with survival in a subgroup of early-stage patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St Orsola Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceccaroni
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chieco
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alboni
authors.forename: Pierandrea
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Laco
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ceccarelli
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Taroni
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pelusi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D019044:Image Cytometry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D008940:Mitotic Index; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011003:Ploidies; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53