Expression and amplification of eIF-5A2 in human epithelial ovarian tumors and overexpression of EIF-5A2 is a new independent predictor of outcome in patients with ovarian carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Our previous study has suggested an oncogenic role of eIF-5A2 in ovarian tumorigenesis. Abnormalities of eIF-5A2 and its clinical/prognostic significance, however, in ovarian carcinoma are unclear.


METHODS
In this study, we examined expression of EIF-5A2, using immunohistochemistry, in 30 normal ovaries, 30 ovarian cystadenomas, 30 borderline ovarian tumors and 110 ovarian carcinomas. The amplification status of eIF-5A2 in each ovarian carcinoma was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization.


RESULTS
Overexpression of EIF-5A2 was detected in none of the normal ovaries, 7% cystadenomas, 30% borderline tumors, and 53% invasive ovarian carcinomas, respectively. Amplification of eIF-5A2 was detected in 16% of informative ovarian carcinomas. In ovarian carcinomas, significant positive associations were found between overexpression of EIF-5A2 and the tumors ascending grade, later pT/pN and FIGO stages, as well as increased positive rate of Ki-67 (p<0.05). In univariate survival analysis of the ovarian carcinoma cohorts, a significant association of overexpression of EIF-5A2 with shortened patient survival (mean 39.0 months vs 69.5 months, p<0.001) was demonstrated. Importantly, EIF-5A2 expression provided significant independent prognostic parameters in multivariate analysis (p=0.043).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that increased expression of EIF-5A2 in ovarian carcinoma may represent an acquired malignant phenotypic feature of tumor cells, and the overexpression of EIF-5A2, as detected by immunohistochemistry, is an independent molecular marker for shortened survival time of patients with ovarian carcinoma.
Yang
Guo-Fen
GF
State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Xie
Dan
D
Liu
Ji-Hong
JH
Luo
Jun-Hang
JH
Li
Li-Juan
LJ
Hua
Wen-Feng
WF
Wu
Hong-Mei
HM
Kung
Hsiang-Fu
HF
Zeng
Yi-Xin
YX
Guan
Xin-Yuan
XY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D003537:Cystadenoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors; C425967:eIF-5A2