title: B7-H4 expression in ovarian serous carcinoma: a study of 306 cases.
abstract: The B7 family of immune costimulatory ligands is a group of cell surface proteins that bind to the surface receptors of lymphocytes to fine-tune immune responses. The aberrant expression of these proteins plays a key role in tumor immune evasion. Immunotherapy targeting certain B7 family members, including programmed death ligand 1, has proven quite effective in suppressing tumor growth. However, why such therapy works in only a subgroup of tumors is unclear. We hypothesized that other B7 family members, either alone or in concert with programmed death ligand 1, play a crucial role in tumor pathogenesis and progression. We therefore examined the expression of a newly discovered B7 family member, B7-H4, in 306 cases of ovarian serous carcinoma by immunohistochemistry. We found that 91% (267/293) of the high-grade ovarian serous carcinomas and 69% (9/13) of the low-grade ovarian serous carcinomas expressed B7-H4. The difference between B7-H4 expression in high-grade and low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma was statistically significant (P=.002). Moreover, B7-H4 protein expression in high-grade serous carcinoma was associated with tumor stage (P<.01) but not overall survival or disease-free survival. In conclusion, B7-H4 is frequently expressed in ovarian serous carcinomas, especially high-grade serous carcinomas, and may represent a novel immunotherapeutic target in this cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 77030.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 77030; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China 210029.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 77030.
authors.forename: Jun-Song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 77030.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 77030.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 77030.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA 77030. Electronic address: yzu@HoustonMethodist.org.
authors.forename: Youli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China 710032. Electronic address: jzhang@fmmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 77030. Electronic address: jliu@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Jinsong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018297:Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D060907:V-Set Domain-Containing T-Cell Activation Inhibitor 1 / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D060907:V-Set Domain-Containing T-Cell Activation Inhibitor 1; C475826:VTCN1 protein, human
keywords: B7-H4; Fallopian tube; Immunohistochemistry; Immunotherapy; Ovarian cancer