title: SPOC1, a novel PHD-finger protein: association with residual disease and survival in ovarian cancer.
abstract: We report the identification of a novel human gene (SPOC1) which encodes a protein with a PHD-finger domain. The gene is located in chromosomal region 1p36.23, a region implicated in tumor development and progression. RNA in situ hybridization experiments showed strong SPOC1 expression in some rapidly proliferating cell types, such as spermatogonia, but not in nonproliferating mature spermatocytes. In addition, high SPOC1 mRNA expression was observed in several ovarian cancer cell lines. This prompted us to systematically examine SPOC1 expression in ovarian cancer in relation to prognosis. SPOC1 mRNA expression was quantified in tumor tissue of 103 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Interestingly, SPOC1 was associated with residual disease, whereby patients with unresectable tumors showed higher levels compared to patients without residual tumor tissue after surgery (p = 0.029). The univariable proportional hazards model showed an association between SPOC1 expression and survival (p = 0.043, relative risk = 1.535). Median survival time was 1,596 days for patients with low SPOC1 expression vs. only 347 days for patients with high expression, using Kaplan-Meier analysis. However, SPOC1 was not associated with survival when multivariable analysis was adjusted for residual disease. This can be explained by the correlation between residual disease and SPOC1 expression. In conclusion, SPOC1 is a novel PHD-finger protein showing strong expression in spermatogonia and ovarian cancer cells. SPOC1 overexpression was associated with unresectable carcinomas and shorter survival in ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mohrmann
authors.forename: Jan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hengstler
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Sabine U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Endele
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stelzer
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zabel
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brieger
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hasenclever
authors.forename: Berno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sagemueller
authors.forename: Jalid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sehouli
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Will
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Winterpacht
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000502:physiology; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D012333:RNA, Messenger