title: CD44+/CD24- ovarian cancer cells demonstrate cancer stem cell properties and correlate to survival.
abstract: Cancer cells with the surface marker profile CD44+/CD24- have previously been described to possess cancer stem cell-like properties. This manuscript evaluates those properties in ovarian cancer cell lines. The proportion of CD44+/CD24- cells corresponded to the clinical aggressiveness of each ovarian cancer cell line histologic subtype. CD44+/CD24- cells demonstrated enhanced progressive differentiation as well as showing a 60-fold increase in Matrigel invasion in both SKOV3 and OV90 cell lines (p < 0.001 each) compared to other phenotypes. CD44+/CD24- demonstrated significant resistance to all chemotherapy agents used in all cell lines, with a 71-93 % increase in resistance compared with baseline. Using a threshold of 25 % CD44+/CD24- ovarian cancer cells found in ascites, patients with >25 % CD44+/CD24- were significantly more likely to recur (83 vs. 14 %, p = 0.003) and had shorter median progression-free survival (6 vs. 18 months, p = 0.01). In conclusion, the CD44+/CD24- phenotype in ovarian cancer cells demonstrate cancer stem cell-like properties of enhanced differentiation, invasion, and resistance to chemotherapy. This CD44+/CD24- phenotype correlates to clinical endpoints with increased risk of recurrence and shorter progression-free survival in patients with ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: University of South Alabama, Mitchell Cancer Institute, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
authors.forename: Erhong
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Beverely
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McClellan
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Finan
authors.forename: Eddie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Lalita
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shevde
authors.forename: Rodney P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Rocconi
mesh_terms: D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D051927:CD24 Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051927:CD24 Antigen; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface