title: [Expression and prognostic significance of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 in ovarian serous carcinomas].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression and prognostic significance of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 in ovarian serous carcinomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety five tumors from the patients with ovarian serous carcinomas and 2 ovarian cancer cell lines were recruited. The expressions of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 were examined by means of immunohistochemistry. The relationships among protein expression and clinicopathological features, survival of patients were analyzed. The mRNA and protein expressions of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 in ovarian cancer cell lines were measured with semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The protein expressions of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 in tumor were 92.6% (88/95)and 97.9% (93/95) respectively, while were 40%(8/20) and 30% (6/20) in adjacent ovarian tissue (P = 0.000). EphA2 immunohistochemical staining could be observed in both tumour and vascular endothelial cells, and EphrinA-1 mainly localized in the tumor cells. The expression of EphA2 was significantly associated with the expression of EphrinA-1 (r = 0.98, P = 0.02). There was no significant correlation between the expressions of EphA2/EphrinA-1 and age, FIGO stage, residual tumour size and histological grade. High levels of both EphA2 and EphrinA-1 protein expression were significantly associated with a shorter overall survival in multivariate analysis (P < 0.05). High levels of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 mRNA and protein were detected in OVCAR3 and SKOV3 cell lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are over-expression of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 in ovarian serous carcinomas and ovarian cancer cell lines. Tumours with higher expression levels of both EphA2 and EphrinA-1 significantly associated with poorer clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
authors.forename: Li-ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Juan-fang
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiang-rong
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zi-ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Zhen-he
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Suo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D036082:Receptor, EphA1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D036104:Receptor, EphA2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D036082:Receptor, EphA1; D036104:Receptor, EphA2