title: Olfactomedin 4 is a marker for progression of cervical neoplasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) is expressed in gastrointestinal cancers and related to progression and differentiation of these malignancies. However, whether OLFM4 contributes to tumorigenesis of other tissues has not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of the study was to investigate OLFM4 expression in cervical epithelium and its association with progression of cervical neoplasia and differentiation of cervical carcinomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate the expression and distribution of OLFM4 in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive squamous cell carcinomas (ISCCs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall positive OLFM4 staining levels in normal cervical epithelia, CIN I, CIN II, CIN III, and ISCCs are 22.0%, 94.2%, 93.7%, 94.6%, and 96.7%, respectively. The intensity of OLFM4 staining was enhanced according to increased pathologic grade of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion. The immunoreactivity to OLFM4 was stronger in well-differentiated ISCCs than in poorly differentiated ISCCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Olfactomedin 4 expression has been associated with progression of CIN and differentiation of cervical cancer. The results provide new evidence that OLFM4 plays an important role in tumorigenesis in the female reproductive tract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. liyuuk@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Mian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guidong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mengzhen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Liantang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shangwu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C454127:OLFM4 protein, human; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor