title: Immunohistochemical evaluation of a new epithelial antigen, BER-EP4 in ovarian cancer: a propos of 62 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the immunohistochemical expression of BerEP4, a new epithelial antigen in ovarian cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 62 cases of ovarian cancer in which BerEP4, CEA and CA-125 were investigated by an immunohistochemical method. We evaluated the correlations among immunohistochemical positivity and the grading, histotype and stage of disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BerEP4 was positive in 45 out of 62 cases (72.58%), CA-125 in 36 out of 62 cases (58.06%) and CEA in ten out of 62 cases (16.13%). BerEP4 was present both in serous and in mucinous tumors (80.96% vs. 80.77%). CA-125 was mainly expressed in serous vs mucinous tumors (66.67% vs. 57.69%). CEA was more prevalent in mucinous vs. serous tumors. Ber-EP4 was mainly expressed in G1 (75%) and G2 (77.27%). CA-125 was more present in G1 and G3 (both 62.50%) than G2 (50%), whereas CEA showed positivity in G1: 12.50%, G2: 22.73% and G3: 12.50%. There were no differences among the three antigens studied with regard to clinical stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study Ber-EP4 was positive in 45 out of 62 cases (72.58%) of primary epithelial ovarian cancers. The presence of this antigen seemed to be related to the histotype and grading but not to clinical stage.
authors.affiliation: Gynecologic and Obstetric Clinic, University of Sassari, Italy. capobia@uniss.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capobianco
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marras
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Battista Meloni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dessole
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ashqar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cherchi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dessole
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Cherchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018297:Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; C115012:human epithelial antigen-125; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm