title: Does Aquaporin-1 expression have clinical significance in serous epithelial ovarian cancer?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the relationship between Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) expression and clinicopathological variables in serous epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serous EOC cases treated in our institution between January 2007 and December 2009 were included in the study. A semi-quantitative immunohistochemical method was used to determine AQP1 expression levels, intratumoral microvessel density (IMD) and AQP1/IMD ratios. The relationship between these parameters and clinicopathological variables were assessed. P values less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 55 cases of serous EOC were included in the study. AQP1 was strongly expressed in the membranes of microvessels and small vessels within all tumor tissues. In a few cases, AQP1 expression was also observed in the membrane of interstitial cells and in individual tumor cells. A positive correlation was detected between preoperative CA125 levels and the expression of AQP1 (R: 0.277, p<0.05). AQP1 expression was similar between FIGO stage I-II and FIGO stage III-IV cases (p > 0.05). A significant relationship did not exist between AQP1 expression and FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis or ascites volume (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, AQP1 expression did not have a significant association with important clinicopathological variables in serous EOC. Future studies are needed to determine AQP1 expression in other histological types of EOC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecological Oncology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Kemal
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Takal
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecological Oncology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baykal
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecological Oncology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Eralp
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Başer
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecological Oncology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Derda
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecological Oncology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Polat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dursun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Asuman Nihan
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Haberal
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecological Oncology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayhan
keywords: Aquaporin-1; intratumoral microvessel density; serous epithelial ovarian cancer