title: Clinical value of protein expression of kallikrein-related peptidase 7 (KLK7) in ovarian cancer.
abstract: Expression of the kallikrein-related peptidase 7 (KLK7) is dysregulated in ovarian cancer. We assessed KLK7 expression by ELISA and quantitative immunohistochemistry and analyzed its association with clinicopathological parameters and patients' outcome. KLK7 antigen concentrations were determined in tumor tissue extracts of 98 ovarian cancer patients by ELISA. For analysis of KLK7 immunoexpression in ovarian cancer tissue microarrays, a manual quantitative scoring system as well as a software tool for quantitative high-throughput automated image analysis was used. In immunohistochemical analyses, expression levels of KLK7 were not associated with patients' outcome. However, in multivariate analyses, KLK7 antigen levels in tumor tissue extracts were significantly associated with both overall and progression-free survival: ovarian cancer patients with high KLK7 levels had a significantly, 2-fold lower risk of death [hazard ratio (HR)=0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.29-0.90, p=0.019] or relapse [HR=0.47, 95% CI=0.25-0.91, p=0.024), as compared with patients who displayed low KLK7 levels. Our results indicate that - in contrast to earlier findings - high KLK7 antigen levels in tumor tissue extracts may be associated with a better prognosis of ovarian cancer patients.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dorn
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gkazepis
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kotzsch
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Propping
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mengele
authors.forename: Eleftherios P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Diamandis
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiechle
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Magdolen
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C082472:KLK7 protein, human; D007610:Kallikreins