Prognostic role of the recepteur d'origine nantais (RON) expression in ovarian cancer patients.
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.
Ferrandina
Gabriella
G
Department of Oncology, Catholic University, Campobasso, Italy; Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
Martinelli
Enrica
E
Petrillo
Marco
M
Prisco
Maria Grazia
MG
Zucconi
Adriana
A
Santaguida
Salvatore
S
Zannoni
Gianfranco
G
Scambia
Giovanni
G
Ferlini
Cristiano
C
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
C080835:RON protein; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases