title: Tau protein as a potential predictive marker in epithelial ovarian cancer patients treated with paclitaxel/platinum first-line chemotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to evaluate predictive and prognostic significance of microtubule-associated protein Tau in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients treated with paclitaxel and platinum-based chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  74 patients with EOC (stage I-IV) who underwent cytoreductive surgery followed by standard paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy were included in the retrospective analysis. Their formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens were immunohistochemically stained for Tau protein, using semi-quantitative DAKO test. Tau expression was acknowledged as negative (0 and 1+) or positive (2+ and 3+). The correlation between Tau expression, progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. Statistical analysis included Kaplan-Meyer estimator, long rank test, Mann Whitney test and Cox proportional hazards model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  25.7% (19/74) and 74.3% (55/74) of the patients were classified as Tau-negative and Tau-positive, respectively. Median PFS was 28.7 months for Tau-negative group and 15.9 months for Tau-positive group (p = 0.0355). In the univariate analysis 3-year OS in Tau-negative and Tau-positive groups was 80.2% and 52.4%, respectively (p = 0.0198). Low expression of protein Tau was associated with better OS, whereas an advanced stage at diagnosis, suboptimal surgery, serous histological type and resistance to first line chemotherapy were each correlated with worse OS (p <0,05). In multivariate analysis only resistance to first line chemotherapy remained significant (HR 22.59; 95% CI, 8.71-58.55; p <0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Negative tau protein seems to be both good prognostic factor and a predictor of response to paclitaxel/platinum-based chemotherapy in EOC patients.
authors: Oncology Department, Military Institute of Health Services in Warsaw, Szaserów Street 128, Warszawa, 04-141, Poland. smoterm@wp.pl
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Smoter
authors: Lubomir
authors: L
authors: Bodnar
authors: Bartlomiej
authors: B
authors: Grala
authors: Rafal
authors: R
authors: Stec
authors: Krystyna
authors: K
authors: Zieniuk
authors: Wojciech
authors: W
authors: Kozlowski
authors: Cezary
authors: C
authors: Szczylik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010984:Platinum / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016875:tau Proteins; D010984:Platinum; D017239:Paclitaxel
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Jun 7;102(23):8315-20
references: 15914550
references: EMBO J. 2003 Jan 2;22(1):70-7
references: 12505985
references: Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2009 Jul;116(1):131-43
references: 18668363
references: J Gynecol Oncol. 2009 Jun;20(2):101-6
references: 19590721
references: J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000 May 3;92(9):699-708
references: 10793106
references: Chem Biol. 1999 Mar;6(3):R65-9
references: 10074470
references: J Biol Chem. 1993 Apr 5;268(10):6847-50
references: 8096507
references: Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2009 Jul;64(2):341-6
references: 19039589
references: Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2010 Apr;40(4):286-93
references: 20085902
references: Neurol India. 2007 Jan-Mar;55(1):11-6
references: 17272893
references: Cancer. 2006 May 1;106(9):1933-9
references: 16572412
references: Int J Cancer. 2012 Jul 1;131(1):95-105
references: 21858809
references: Clin Breast Cancer. 2010 Jun;10(3):230-7
references: 20497922
references: J Clin Oncol. 2009 Sep 10;27(26):4287-92
references: 19667268
references: Br J Cancer. 2006 Jun 19;94(12):1894-7
references: 16721363
references: Lancet. 2002 Aug 17;360(9332):505-15
references: 12241653
references: Breast. 2007 Feb;16(1):86-93
references: 17010609
references: N Engl J Med. 1996 Jan 4;334(1):1-6
references: 7494563
references: Eur J Cancer. 2010 May;46(8):1359-64
references: 20303743