title: Hepatoma-derived growth factor predicts unfavorable prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the expression and clinical significance of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have demonstrated that HDGF overexpression correlates to the progression and poor prognosis in several kinds of cancers. However, the clinical significance and prognostic value of HDGF in EOC have not been investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of HDGF was visualized by immunohistology and then the cohort was divided into higher- and lower-expression groups. The correlation between HDGF and clinicopathologic factors was analyzed by χ (2) test. The prognostic value of HDGF was assessed by univariate analysis with Kaplan-Meier method, and by multivariate analysis with Cox-regression model. With experiments in vitro, HDGF expression in ovarian cancer cell lines was detected by immunoblotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher HDGF expression rate was 52.76% in EOC. HDGF expression was significantly associated with lymphatic metastasis (P=0.006). Higher HDGF expression was closely correlated to poorer 5-year overall survival rate with univariate analysis (P=0.003), and was identified as an independent prognostic factor with multivariate analysis (P=0.007). With experiments in vitro, HDGF was proved to exist in all ovarian cancer cell lines with different expression levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HDGF expression correlates to unfavorable prognosis and can be considered as an independent prognostic factor, indicating that HDGF may be a promising potential molecular drug target.
authors: Department of Obstetrics, Linyi Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Linyi City, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xue-Jun
authors: XJ
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Obstetrics, Linyi Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Linyi City, People's Republic of China.
authors: Wen-Lian
authors: WL
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Obstetrics, Linyi Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Linyi City, People's Republic of China.
authors: Fang-Mei
authors: FM
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Pathology, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan City, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiao-Qing
authors: XQ
authors: Yang
authors: Department of General Surgery, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan City, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiao-Fei
authors: XF
authors: Lu
keywords: HDGF; biomarker; invasion; knockdown