title: Clinical significance of IEX-1 expression in ovarian carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The stress-inducible immediate early response gene X-1 (IEX-1) regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis in a cell type and stimulus-dependent manner. The aim of this study was to investigate IEX-1 expression and its role in apoptosis of ovarian epithelial tumors for potential use in clinical diagnosis and therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  IEX-1 expression was examined in paraffin-embedded specimens from 77 patients with epithelial ovarian tumors using immunohistochemistry. Correlation between IEX-1 expression and other clinicopathological parameters was evaluated. Apoptosis of tumor cells was detected by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  IEX-1 expression was significantly lower in ovarian cancers compared to cystadenomas and borderline tumors (p < .05). The expression was significantly associated with FIGO stage and histological grade (p < .05), but not with age, histological type, or residual tumor (p > .05). A positive correlation was also observed between IEX-1 expression and apoptotic index (p < .01) or survival (p=.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the development of epithelial ovarian tumors from benign to malignant, IEX-1 expression is decreased, concomitant with a decreased rate of cell apoptosis. Thus, IEX-1 is pro-apoptotic in the development of epithelial ovarian cancer. The pro-apoptotic activity may take part in restraining tumor growth at the early stage of ovarian epithelial cancer, whereas its decreased expression probably contributes to the abnormal survival advantage for malignant cancer. Altered IEX-1 expression can potentially be a new predictor of the malignant transformation and a prognostic indicator for cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Henan, China. hanlp0825@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Xiangrong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Huirong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Mei X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C099815:IER3 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins