Expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma and cyclo-oxygenase 2 in primary and recurrent ovarian carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) has emerged as a potential therapeutic target in several types of cancer. In ovarian carcinomas, limited and conflicting data on PPARgamma protein expression have been reported.


METHODS
The immunoexpression of PPARgamma and its putative target cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX2) was investigated in tumour tissues from 80 patients with primary and corresponding recurrent ovarian serous carcinomas after conventional platinum-based chemotherapy.


RESULTS
PPARgamma expression was observed in 29% of primary and recurrent carcinomas. In the recurrent tumours, PPARgamma expression inversely correlated with COX2 overexpression in both chemosensitive (p = 0.02) and chemoresistant (p = 0.04) carcinomas.


CONCLUSIONS
The data indicate that PPARgamma may represent a potential target for second-line treatment in ovarian cancers.
Stadlmann
Sylvia
S
Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Gueth
Uwe
U
Wight
Edward
E
Kunz-Schughart
Leoni A
LA
Hartmann
Arndt
A
Singer
Gad
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D040081:Protein Array Analysis / Q000379:methods; D012008:Recurrence
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D047495:PPAR gamma; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2