title: Overexpression of mammaglobin B in epithelial ovarian carcinomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mammaglobin B is a uteroglobin gene family member recently found highly differentially expressed in serous papillary ovarian cancer by gene expression profiling. In order to evaluate its potential as a novel ovarian cancer biomarker, in this study we quantified and compared Mammaglobin B expression in various histologic types of epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Mammaglobin B expression was evaluated by real-time PCR and/or immunohistochemistry in fresh-frozen biopsies and paraffin-embedded tissues derived from a total of 137 patients including 69 primary EOC with different histologies, 28 serous papillary omental metastasis, 8 borderline tumors, 26 benign cystadenomas and 14 normal ovaries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High levels of Mammaglobin B gene expression were detected in 100% (68 out of 68) of the ovarian cancer biopsies tested by real-time PCR. In contrast, normal human ovarian surface epithelium (HOSE) expressed negligible levels of Mammaglobin B mRNA (EOC versus HOSE, p<0.01). Although Mammaglobin B gene expression levels were higher in endometrioid, mucinous and undifferentiated tumors when compared to serous papillary tumors, clear cell tumors and those with mixed histology, these differences were not statistically significant. In agreement with real-time PCR results, EOC were found to express significantly higher levels of Mammaglobin B protein when compared to normal ovaries and benign cystadenomas (p<0.01). However, only 29 out of 68 (42%) of the EOC samples found positive for Mammaglobin B by real-time PCR showed immunoreactivity by IHC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mammaglobin B gene is highly expressed in EOC and may represent a novel molecular marker for multiple histological types of ovarian cancer. Additional studies to evaluate the clinical utility of Mammaglobin B as a diagnostic and/or therapeutic target in ovarian cancer are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Renata A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tassi
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bignotti
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falchetti
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Donzelli
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calza
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravaggi
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bandiera
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pecorelli
authors.forename: Alessandro D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Santin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D060788:Mammaglobin B; D008875:Middle Aged; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011510:Proteolipids; D060765:Secretoglobins; D014598:Uteroglobin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D060788:Mammaglobin B; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011510:Proteolipids; C556467:SCGB2A1 protein, human; D060765:Secretoglobins; D014598:Uteroglobin