title: HMGA2: a potential biomarker complement to P53 for detection of early-stage high-grade papillary serous carcinoma in fallopian tubes.
abstract: Before high-grade papillary serous carcinoma (HG-PSC) becomes invasive, it is believed to be a poorly defined short-lived precursor lesion. A recent characterization of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) and of the p53 signature suggested that HG-PSC may follow a stepwise progression on cellular and molecular levels. High-mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2), an oncofetal protein, is overexpressed in ovarian cancer. To test whether HMGA2 can be another valuable marker for STIC, we examined HMGA2 expression in 3 groups of patients: (1) 24 patients with STIC and its invasive counterpart, HG-PSC of the fallopian tubes, (2) 24 patients with HG-PSC of the ovaries but without STIC (positive control), and (3) 30 patients with cancer and normal fallopian tubes (negative control). We found that HMGA2 was overexpressed in 75% of patients with STIC, was coexpressed with p53 in more than 50% of patients, and was completely negative in the secretory cells of the 30 patients with normal fallopian tubes. Among 7 patients with cells negative for p53 staining, HMGA2 was positive in 5; among 6 patients whose tumor cells were negative for HMGA2 in STIC, 3 were positive for HMGA2 in the invasive component; about 70% of invasive HG-PSC tumor cells were immunoreactive for both HMGA2 and TP53. In invasive carcinoma, HMGA2 overexpression was correlated with p53 (r=0.45), indicating the role of HMGA2 in p53 mediated tumor progression. Our findings of immunoreactivity for HMGA2 may lead to a novel, useful biomarker to complement p53 in the detection of early-stage serous carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. jianjun-wei@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luan
authors.forename: Anjana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yeldandi
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Pacita
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Keh
authors.forename: Jinsong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D025743:HMGA2 Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D025743:HMGA2 Protein; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53