title: The G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER/GPR30) does not predict survival in patients with ovarian cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Even though ovarian tumors are not generally considered estrogen-sensitive, estrogens may still have an impact on ovarian tumor progression. The recently identified trans-membrane estrogen receptor GPER is involved in rapid estrogen signaling. Furthermore, it binds selective estrogen receptor modulators with agonistic effect, which could explain tamoxifen controversies.
  
  
  METHODS
  GPER mRNA was assayed with quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in 42 primary ovarian tumors and 7 ovarian cancer cell lines. ERα and ERβ mRNA were analyzed for comparison. GPER protein was semi-quantified with densitometric scanning of Western blots and its tissue distribution analyzed with immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 40 ovarian tumors. In addition, IHC was evaluated in a tissue microarray (TMA) of 150 primary malignant ovarian tumors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All tumor samples contained GPER mRNA. The content of mRNA was not different between benign and malignant tumors, but one third of malignant samples over-expressed GPER mRNA. The content of ERα mRNA was higher in malignant than in benign tumors, whereas ERβ mRNA was higher in benign than in malignant tumors. GPER mRNA was detected in all seven ovarian cancer cell lines with highest levels in TOV21G and TOV112D cells. Similar expression pattern was seen for ERβ mRNA. Western blot demonstrated GPER protein in all tumor samples. Semi-quantification showed no difference between benign and malignant tumors, but about one third of malignant samples over-expressed GPER protein. GPER staining was localized mainly in epithelial cells. In the TMA study we found no correlation between GPER staining and clinical stage, histological grade or patient survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GPER mRNA as well as GPER protein is present in both benign and malignant ovarian tumor tissue. About one third of malignant tumors over-expressed both GPER mRNA and protein. This, however, correlated neither with histological or clinical parameters nor with patient survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital Lund, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden. Zuzana.Kolkova@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kolkova
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Casslén
authors.forename: Emir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Henic
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ehinger
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jirström
authors.forename: Bertil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casslén