WT1 gene expression as a prognostic marker in advanced serous epithelial ovarian carcinoma: an immunohistochemical study.
BACKGROUND
WT1 is a tumor suppressor gene responsible for Wilms' tumor. WT1 reactivity is limited to ovarian serous carcinomas. Recent studies have shown that WT1 plays an important role in the progression of disease and indicates a poorer prognosis of human malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia and breast cancer. The aims of this study were to determine the survival and recurrence-free survival of women with advanced serous epithelial ovarian carcinoma in relation to WT1 gene expression.


METHODS
The study accrued women over an 18-year period, from 1987-2004. During the study period, 163 patients were diagnosed with advanced serous epithelial ovarian carcinoma and had undergone complete post-operative chemotherapy, but the final study group comprised 99 patients. The records of these women were reviewed and the paraffin-embedded tissue of these women stained with WT1 immunostaining. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods.


RESULTS
Fifty patients showed WT1 staining and forty-nine did not. Five-year survival of non-staining and staining groups were 39.4% and 10.7% (p < 0.00005); five-year recurrence-free survival of these groups were 29.8% and < or = 7.5% (p < 0.00005), respectively. For survival the HR of WT1 staining, adjusted for residual tumor and chemotherapy response, was 1.98 (95% CI 1.28-3.79), and for recurrence-free survival the HR was 3.36 (95% CI 1.60-7.03). The HR for recurrence-free survival was not confounded by any other variables.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that expression of WT1 gene may be indicative of an unfavorable prognosis in patients with advanced serous epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
Netinatsunthorn
Wirote
W
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla, Thailand. RM93P@yahoo.com
Hanprasertpong
Jitti
J
Dechsukhum
Chavaboon
C
Leetanaporn
Roengsak
R
Geater
Alan
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016162:Genes, Wilms Tumor; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D025721:WT1 Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D025721:WT1 Proteins