title: Prognostic role of the recepteur d'origine nantais (RON) expression in ovarian cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate the potential clinical relevance of immunohistochemically assessed RON expression in a large, single institution series of primary untreated advanced ovarian cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical analysis was performed by using the polyclonal rabbit anti-RON-beta antibody (C-20, clone sc-322, Santa Cruz, California). Results were expressed as the total proportion of immunostained tumor cells (RON positivity), or the percentage of cells showing strong staining of RON expression (H-RON positivity).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the overall series RON positive immunoreaction was observed in 103/141 cases, while H-Ron positivity was detected in 577141 (40.4%) cases. No association between RON and H-RON expression with response to first-line treatment was documented. During the follow up period, progression and death of disease were observed in 111 (78.7%) and 76 (53.9%) cases, respectively. Cases with strong H-RON expression has a shorter overall survival (median=35 months) than cases with low RON levels (median=59 months) (X(2)=-2.1, p value=0.032). In multivariate analysis, only platinum resistance, and extent of residual tumor retained an independent negative prognostic role for OS, with the percentages of H-RON positively immunostained cells showing a borderline statistical significance (p value=0.0643). The unfavourable role of elevated percentages of H-RON expression was maintained only in the subgroup of platinum resistant recurrent ovarian cancer patients (X(2)=3.89, p value=0.048) compared to the platinum sensitive ones (X(2)=1.98, p value=0.16).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The assessment of RON expression deserves further attention as a parameter helpful to identify poor prognosis ovarian cancer patients potentially candidates to investigational agents.
authors: Department of Oncology, Catholic University, Campobasso, Italy; Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors: Gabriella
authors: G
authors: Ferrandina
authors: Enrica
authors: E
authors: Martinelli
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Petrillo
authors: Maria Grazia
authors: MG
authors: Prisco
authors: Adriana
authors: A
authors: Zucconi
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Santaguida
authors: Gianfranco
authors: G
authors: Zannoni
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Scambia
authors: Cristiano
authors: C
authors: Ferlini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C080835:RON protein; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases