title: AGR2 expression in ovarian tumours:  a potential biomarker for endometrioid and mucinous differentiation.
abstract: To examine AGR2 expression in ovarian epithelial tumours and its potential role as a prognostic biomarker.
  
  
  
  Tissue microarray technology and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate AGR2 expression in ovarian epithelial tumours and in non-neoplastic ovarian epithelium. For the carcinomas, the expression data were correlated with clinicopathological features and disease outcome.
  
  
  
  AGR2 was expressed in all benign, borderline and malignant mucinous tumours and in a high proportion of endometrioid carcinomas (89%). AGR2 was frequently expressed in benign and borderline serous tumours (76% and 95%, respectively), but less commonly expressed in serous carcinomas (19%, p < 0.001). AGR2 expression in ovarian carcinomas was inversely correlated with p53 and p16 expression (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively), and independent of CA125 expression. AGR2 expression was more common in carcinomas which presented with early-stage compared with late-stage disease (p = 0.009) and AGR2 was expressed in carcinomas with better outcome (22% relapse rate of AGR2 positive cancers compared with 74% relapse rate for AGR2 negative cancers, p = 0.001).
  
  
  
  Our findings indicate that AGR2 expression is associated with mucinous carcinomas and their precursor lesions and endometrioid cancers. Additionally, AGR2 may be an important prognostic biomarker of ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. jane.armes@mater.org.au
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Armes
authors.forename: Claire M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Touraj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taheri
authors.forename: Lewis C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.forename: Dominic J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Autelitano
mesh_terms: D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D009088:Mucoproteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C502296:AGR2 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C000614131:CDKN2A protein, human; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D009088:Mucoproteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53