Immunohistochemical profiling of benign, low malignant potential and low grade serous epithelial ovarian tumors.
BACKGROUND
Serous epithelial ovarian tumors can be subdivided into benign (BOV), low malignant potential (LMP) or borderline and invasive (TOV) tumors. Although the molecular characteristics of serous BOV, LMP and low grade (LG) TOV tumors has been initiated, definitive immunohistochemical markers to distinguish between these tumor types have not been defined.


METHODS
In the present study, we used a tissue array composed of 27 BOVs, 78 LMPs and 23 LG TOVs to evaluate the protein expression of a subset of selected candidates identified in our previous studies (Ape1, Set, Ran, Ccne1 and Trail) or known to be implicated in epithelial ovarian cancer disease (p21, Ccnb1, Ckd1).


RESULTS
Statistically significant difference in protein expression was observed for Ccnb1 when BOV tumors were compared to LMP tumors (p = 0.003). When BOV were compared to LG TOV tumors, Trail was significantly expressed at a higher level in malignant tumors (p = 0.01). Expression of p21 was significantly lower in LG tumors when compared with either BOVs (p = 0.03) or LMPs (p = 0.001). We also observed that expression of p21 was higher in LMP tumors with no (p = 0.02) or non-invasive (p = 0.01) implants compared to the LMP associated with invasive implants.


CONCLUSIONS
This study represents an extensive analyse of the benign and highly differentiated ovarian disease from an immunohistochemical perspective.
Ouellet
Véronique
V
Centre de recherche du centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal/Institut du cancer de Montréal, Montreal, Canada. ouelletv@yahoo.ca
Ling
Tak Hay
TH
Normandin
Karine
K
Madore
Jason
J
Lussier
Christian
C
Barrès
Véronique
V
Bachvarov
Dimcho
D
Rancourt
Claudine
C
Tonin
Patricia N
PN
Provencher
Diane M
DM
Mes-Masson
Anne-Marie
AM
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D018293:Cystadenoma, Serous / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor