Chemokine axes CXCL12/CXCR4 and CXCL16/CXCR6 correlate with lymph node metastasis in epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Recent evidence suggests that the chemokine axis of CXC chemokine ligand-12 and its receptor CXC chemokine receptor-4(CXCL12/CXCR4) is highly expressed in gynecological tumors and the axis of CXC chemokine ligand-16 and CXC chemokine receptor-6(CXCL16/CXCR6) is overexpressed in inflammation-associated tumors.This study aimed to determine the relationship between CXCL12/CXCR4,CXCL16/CXCR6 and ovarian carcinoma's clinicopathologic features and prognosis.Accordingly,the expression of these proteins in ovarian tissues was detected by tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry.The expressions of CXCL12/CXCR4 and CXCL16/CXCR6 were significantly higher in epithelial ovarian carcinomas than in normal epithelial ovarian tissues or benign epithelial ovarian tumors.The expression of chemokines CXCL12 and CXCL16 were positively correlated with their receptors CXCR4 and CXCR6 in ovarian carcinoma,respectively(r = 0.300,P < 0.05;r = 0.395,P < 0.05).Moreover,the expression of CXCL12 was related to the occurrence of ascites(χ2 = 4.76,P < 0.05),the expression of CXCR4 was significantly related to lymph node metastasis(χ2 = 4.37,P < 0.05),the expression of CXCR6 was significantly related to lymph node metastasis(χ2 = 7.43,P < 0.05) and histological type(χ2 = 33.48,P < 0.05).In univariate analysis,the expression of CXCR4 and CXCL16 significantly correlated with reduced median survival(χ2 = 4.67,P < 0.05;χ2 = 4.48,P < 0.05).Therefore,we conclude that the chemokine axes CXCL12/CXCR4 and CXCL16/CXCR6 may play important roles in the growth,proliferation,invasion,and metastasis of epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Study on Tumor Angiogenesis in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma

To investigate tumor angiogenesis in benign, borderline and malignant epithelial ovarian tumors and its relation with the pathogenesis of ovarian carcinoma, polycolonal antibody directed against human von Willebrand factor (factor Ⅷ ) was used to measure the microvessel density (MVD) in 66 cases (11 benign, 10 borderline, and 45 malignant) of epithelial ovarian tumors by using immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the mean MVD in epithelial ovarian cancer (31. 7 ± 11. 2, 400 × ) was higher than in benign and borderline tumors (16. 7± 6. 3, 20. 7± 8. 8 respectively, P<0. 05). There was no difference in MVDs among those in different tumor grades (P>0. 05). But there was significant difference in MVDs among those in different tumor stages (P< 0. 05). MVD in stage Ⅲ - Ⅳ cancer was higher than that in stage Ⅰ - Ⅱ (P<0. 05). It is concluded that the tumor angiogenesis is an early event in ovarian tumorgenesis. The increased tumor micovessel might be responsible for tumor development.

Oncological and Reproductive Outcomes of Fertility-sparing Surgery in Women with Early-stage Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma:A Multicenter Retrospective Study

Summary:With delayed childbearing in women,preservation of fertility is an important issue for reproductive-age patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma(EOC).Fertility-sparing surgery(FSS)can be considered in patients with early-stage disease in order to preserve fertility and improve quality of life.In order to evaluate oncological safety,attitudes toward childbearing and reproductive outcomes in women with EOC who underwent FSS,this multicenter retrospective study was conducted.Between January 2005 and December 2014,total of 87 young women with FIGO stage I EOC were included,with their clinicopathologic parameters in relation to disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)assessed.Attitudes toward childbearing,ovarian function and fertility were studied in women undergoing FSS(n=36).As a result,in contrast to radical sur ery,FSS did not affect prognosis by Kaplan-Meier curves(log-rank test;DFS:P=0.484;OS:P=0.125).However,two of the three recurrence cases and both death cases were in FSS group stage IC.All women undergoing FSS resumed regular menstrual periods after chemotherapy.Only 16(44.44%)had tried to conceive,and 17 pregnancies occurred in 15(93.75%)women.Among 20 women who did not attempt conception,the most common reason was not being married(70%),followed by already having children(15%).In summary,FSS is considered safe in young women with stage IA EOC.Regular menstruation and good obstetric outcomes can be achieved.This study also provides some insight into the attitudes and social factors regarding fertility in EOC patients.

SEVEN CASES OF EPITHELIAL OVARIAN CARCINOMA WITH BRAIN METASTASIS

Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of brain metastasis in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Metbods Retrospective analysis was conducted in 7 cases of brain metastases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma from January 1986 to March 2007 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital for summarizing therapy results and prognosisaffecting factors. Results Incidence of brain metastases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma was about 0. 66% （7/1 055 ）. Serous adenocarcinoma was the predominant pathological type in 4 cases and the subsequent was adenocarcinoma in 3 cases. All the patients were diagnosed at late stage, 6 cases with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics （HGO） stage Ⅲc and 1 with FIGO stage IV. The mean duration from diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma to brain metastasis was 32.7 ± 20. 0 months （range, 23-73 months）. Single metastasis focus occurred in 43% of cases and multiple metastases in 57% of cases. Fifty-seven percent of patients presented extracranial metastasis. Serum CA125 played a role in monitoring reoccur- rence and brain metastases. The average survival time was about 12 months. Better treatment with prolonged survival could be achieved by combination of operation and chemotherapy or combination of radiotherapy with chemotherapy. Concltusions As a rare condition, brain metastasis of epithelial ovarian carcinoma is rising in incidence with improved treatment of ovarian carcinoma and prolonged survival. However, brain metastasis indicates bad prognosis which can be improved by combined therapy.

LncRNA IDH1-AS1 sponges miR-518c-5p to suppress proliferation of epithelial ovarian cancer cell by targeting RMB47

Long noncoding RNA(lncRNA)IDH1 antisense RNA 1(IDH1-AS1)is involved in the progression of multiple cancers,but its role in epithelial ovarian cancer(EOC)is unknown.Therefore,we investigated the expression levels of IDH1-AS1 in EOC cells and normal ovarian epithelial cells by quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR).We first evaluated the effects of IDH1-AS1 on the proliferation,migration,and invasion of EOC cells through cell counting kit-8,colony formation,EdU,transwell,wound-healing,and xenograft assays.We then explored the downstream targets of IDH1-AS1 and verified the results by a dual-luciferase reporter,qPCR,rescue experiments,and Western blotting.We found that the expression levels of IDH1-AS1 were lower in EOC cells than in normal ovarian epithelial cells.High IDH1-AS1 expression of EOC patients from the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database indicated a favorable prognosis,because IDH1-AS1 inhibited cell proliferation and xenograft tumor growth of EOC.IDH1-AS1 sponged miR-518c-5p whose overexpression promoted EOC cell proliferation.The miR-518c-5p mimic also reversed the proliferation-inhibiting effect induced by IDH1-AS1 overexpression.Furthermore,we found that RNA binding motif protein 47(RBM47)was the downstream target of miR-518c-5p,that upregulation of RBM47 inhibited EOC cell proliferation,and that RBM47 overexpressing plasmid counteracted the proliferation-promoting effect caused by the IDH1-AS1 knockdown.Taken together,IDH1-AS1 may suppress EOC cell proliferation and tumor growth via the miR-518c-5p/RBM47 axis.

Adenocarcinoma of sigmoid colon with metastasis to an ovarian mature teratoma: A case report

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer ranks third in global cancer-related mortality,often due to metastases to liver and lungs.Ovarian metastases are less common,accounting for 3.6%to 7.4%of cases.In contrast,mature ovarian teratomas are frequently benign.Tumor-to-tumor metastasis is a rare phenomenon,with a limited number of documented cases.Three cases of mature ovarian teratomas metastasizing from different cancers have been reported.This report focuses on a case of tumor-totumor metastasis from sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma to a mature ovarian teratoma.CASE SUMMARY A 41-year-old Taiwan residents woman with no known systemic diseases presented with lower back pain,which led to imaging revealing malignant lesions in the spine,pelvis,liver,and multiple lung metastases.She was diagnosed with sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma with metastases to the liver,lung,bone,and a left ovarian teratoma.Treatment involved radiotherapy and chemotherapy,resulting in regression of the primary tumor and stable lung and liver lesions.Due to abdominal symptoms,she underwent exploratory surgery,unveiling a mature teratoma in the left ovary with signs of metastatic adenocarcinoma.CONCLUSION Consider resecting mature ovarian teratomas with concurrent colorectal adenocarcinoma to prevent tumor-to-tumor metastasis.

P16 GENE EXPRESSION IN OVARIAN EPITHELIAL CYSTADENOCARCINOMA

P16 gene expression was measured by immnohistochemical method in poor differentiated serous cystadenocarcinoma cell line, xenograft of highly metastasizing human ovarian carcinoma in nude mice and paramn embedded tissues from 69 patients with ovarian carcinoma. The result showed that P16 gene was positive expression in HO-8910 cell of mother line,HO8910PM cell line and xenograft of highly mcatstasizing human ovarian carcinoma in nude mice. However, P16gene in the metastatic cell had a weaker expression. P16gene positive expression were also found in sl cases of 69cases (73.9%) in the ovarian epithelial carcinoma paramn embedded tissues. Comparative studies showed that the positive rate of P16 gene expression markedly reduced with the increase of pathologic grade and clinical stage,metastasis in the lymph node and decrease of 5-year survival (P<0.05, p<0.01).P16 gene is not only a controller of cytokerastic cycle, but also a key member of tumorigenic suppresser:its absence and expression degree are also correlated with the ovarian carcinoma genesis and development,especially with the metastasis of the ovarian cancer.

Surgery in platinum-resistant recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma

BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer is one of the three most common malignant tumors of the female reproductive tract and ranks first in terms of mortality among gynecological tumors.Epithelial ovarian carcinoma(EOC)is the most common ovarian malignancy,accounting for 90%of all primary ovarian tumors.The clinical value of cytoreductive surgery in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent EOC remains largely unclear.AIM To evaluate the feasibility of secondary cytoreductive surgery for treating platinum-resistant recurrent EOC.METHODS This was a retrospective study of the clinical data of patients with platinumresistant EOC admitted to the Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences between September 2012 and June 2018.Patient baseline data were obtained from clinical records.Routine follow-up of disease progression was performed as follows.CA125 assessment and physical examination were performed every 3 wk during treatment,including gynecological examination.Imaging assessment was carried out every 12 wk by B-mode ultrasound,computed tomography,or magnetic resonance imaging.The primary outcome was progression-free survival(PFS).Secondary outcomes included overall survival(OS),chemotherapy-free interval(CFI),and complications.Follow-up ended on April 15,2019.RESULTS A total of 38 patients were included.R0 resection was achieved in 25(65.8%) patients and R1/2 in 13 (34.2%). Twenty-five (65.8%) patients required organ resection. Nine(23.7%) patients had operative complications, 36 (94.7%) received chemotherapy, and five (13.2%)had targeted therapy. Median PFS and OS were 10 (95%CI: 8.27-11.73) months and 28 (95%CI:12.75-43.25) months, respectively;median CFI was 9 (95%CI: 8.06-9.94) months. R0 resection andpostoperative chemotherapy significantly prolonged PFS and OS (all P < 0.05), and R0 resectionalso significantly prolonged CFI (P < 0.05). Grade ≥ 3 complications were observed, includingrectovaginal fistula (n = 1), intestinal and urinary fistulas (n = 1), and renal failure-associated death(n = 1). Except for the patient who died after surgery, all other patients with complications weresuccessfully managed. Two patients developed intestinal obstruction and showed improvementafter conservative treatment.CONCLUSIONSecondary cytoreductive surgery is feasible for treating platinum-resistant recurrent EOC. Thesefindings provide important references for the selection of clinical therapeutic regimens.

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma in women aged below 30 years

Objective:To study the manifestation,pathohistologic type,stage of disease,treatment andoutcome of epithelial ovarian carcinoma in women under the age of 30 years.Methods:The 21 cases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma in women aged below 30 years betweenJan,1986 and Mar,2002 were analyzed retrospectively.Results:The median age at the time of diagnosis was 24 years(range,16-29 years).All car-cinomas occurred after menarche.The most common symptoms were abdominal pain(50%),fol-lowed by tympanites(25%)and menstrual disorders(19%).The initial diagnosis was usuallymade by physical examination,ultrasonography and serum CA125.The mean maximal tumor di-ameter was 17.6 cm.Ten patients had Stage Ⅰ disease(5 Ⅰa,5 Ⅰc),five had Stage Ⅲ disease,andthe other six were unknown during staging operation.There were nine mucinous tumors,six se-rous tumors.Most tumors were well-differentiated and classified as Grade1 in 11 cases,Grade2 in2 cases,Grade3 in 2 cases,unknown in 6 cases.Optimal and suboptimal cytoreduction wasachieved in 14 patients in primary treatment and 5 in recurrent treatment.8 patients were treatedwith conservative surgery.18 patients were treated with chemotherapy and 7 patients had experi-enced six or more than six courses of chemotherapy.The median follow-up was 50 months(range,2-192 months).There were 6 deaths,2 alive with tumor,11 alive without the disease,2losing follow-up.The 3-year survival rate was 89%,and 5-year survival rate was 76%.Conclusion:Young patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma appeared to have a less aggres-sive form of the disease and a more favorable prognosis.

Metronomic chemotherapy as a palliative treatment in poor performance status patients with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Objective：The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and tolerability of metronomic chemotherapy in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma.Methods：Fifteen patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma and bad performance status were subjected to daily cyclophosphamide（CTX） after failure of 1st line chemotherapy which included paclitaxel and carboplatin.Evaluation of the cases during treatment as regard treatment side effects and progression free survival.Results：Patients could tolerate low dose oral cyclophosphamide treatment without considerable side effects with improvement of performance status.The mean progression free survival was 12 months.Conclusion：Low dose oral cyclophosphamide could be considered as a palliative treatment of pretreated ovarian carcinomas with poor performance status.

Maintenance Chemotherapy of Stage Ⅲ Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma-Focusing on Individualized Maintenance Chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of maintenance chemotherapy on stage Ⅲ ovarian carcinoma. METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted of 47 stage Ⅲ ovarian carcinoma patients with clinical complete remission after first-line chemotherapy. Among these patients, 21 cases were treated with maintenance chemotherapy, while the other 26 cases were free of treatment until progression. The 2 groups were compared with respect to progression-free survival （PFS） and overall survival（OS）. RESULTS The median PFS and OS were not significantly different between the 2 groups. For those patients, in a subgroup of suboptimal surgery （residual disease 〉2 cm）, the median PFS was 110 weeks and 56 weeks and the median OS was 223 weeks and 157 weeks for the maintenance and non-treated respectively. Both PFS and OS values favoured the maintenance group, P=0.004 and P=0.015 respectively. In a subgroup of optimal surgery （residual disease ≤2 cm）, the differences were not significant. CONCLUSION Patients with stage III ovarian carcinoma with clinical complete remission may benefit from maintenance chemotherapy, if the residual disease is 〉2 cm. To those with a residual disease ≤2 cm, the maintenance chemotherapy maybe of no value. So “individualized maintenance chemotherapy” should be conducted in the clinical setting.

Expressions of HLA class Ⅰ and CD80 in human epithelial ovarian carcinomas

Objective:To determine expressions of HLA class I and CD80 in humanepithelial ovarian carcinomas(EOC) and the clinical significance.Methods:Expression of HLA class I was detected by immunohistochemical technique. Expression of CD80 mRNA was examined by reverse transcriptions-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results:The positive rate of HLA classⅠ was 59.09%.CD80 mRNA was expressed on 9.09% of all 44 EOC tissues.HLA classⅠ expression rate in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ was lower than that in stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ;in tumors of node-positive patients was lower than that of node-negative patients(P<0.05).In patiens with tumors expressing HLA class Ⅰ antigens,recurrence rate was lower than that in patients with tumors deficient in HLA class Ⅰ(P<0.01).In four patients with tumors expressing CD80 mRNA,recurrence did not occur,in contrast to patients with tumors lacking CD80 mRNA,in whom tumor relapse rate was 57.5%(P<0.05).Relapse ratein tumors deficient both HLA class Ⅰ and CD80 was significantly higher than that of tumors coexpression the two molecules.Conclusions:EOC cells may escapefrom the immune surveillance of the host through downregulating expressions ofHLA class Ⅰ and CD80.Evaluation of expressions of these surface immunoregulatory molecules may be helpful for judging prognoses of EOC patients and guiding immunotherapy.

Study of consolidation chemotherapy in advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Objective:A prospective randomized study was designed to evaluate the role of consolidation chemotherapy in advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma.Methods:50 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma treated in our hospital during the period from March 2000 to October 2005 were enrolled in this study.All patients had achieved clinical complete remission by means of standard treatments,and were randomly divided into consolidation chemotherapy group and control group.Relapse rate,and disease-free survival(DFS)time were analyzed in both groups.Results:24 patients were assigned in consolidation chemotherapy group,and 26 patients in control group.Tumor relapse interval in consolidation group was(26.5±7.4)months,vs.(16.8±7.0)months in control group respectively,P=0.001.Time to relapse(TTR)in consolidation group was(19.2±6.8)months,vs.(10.0±6.9)months in control group,P=0.002.Analysis of DFS time and overall survival time,Log Rank test:P=0.042 and P=0.062,respectively.Conclusions:Consolidation chemotherapy could be the relevant factor that postpones tumor relapse interval and prolongs DFS time in advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma patients who had achived chlinical complete remission.But so far the statistic result of our clinical study is beyond the conclusion that consolidation chemotherapy can decrease relapse rate or increase survival rate.Multicenter randomized clinical trial should be performed to confirm the role of consolidation chemotherapy in advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Related Study on the Nm23-H1 Gene Expression in the Model of Ovarian Carcinoma Cell Lines with High Frequent Metastasis

Objective: To select the ovarian carcinoma cell lines with high frequent metastasis and study the association between nm23-H1 gene expression and metastasis of ovarian carcinoma. Methods: Each ovarian cancer cell line was transplanted subcutaneously into the flank of nude mice, and the metastatic behavior was evaluated by counting lung tumor foci at different time points. The metastatic tumors were cultured in vitro, then substrain was established and transplanted subcutaneously three times. The RNA level of nm23 in 8 human ovarian cancer cell lines were examined by northern-blot. Results: Of the 8 human ovarian cancer cell lines, 4 had high requent metastatic potentiality. The expression of nm23 RNA in human ovarian cancer cells was inversely related to metastatic behavior in the experimental animals (r=0.96, P=0.0001). Conclusion: The difference of the tendency of metastasis which was determined by genetic and molecular levels was significant among different type of cell lines and subtypes. The expression of nm23 mRNA in human ovarian carcinomas was correlated closely with the reduced metastatic behavior in experimental animals and may serve as a sensitive prognostic indicator for ovarian cancer.

Overexpression and Immunosuppressive Functions of Transforming Growth Factor 1,Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Interleukin-10 in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Objective： Transforming growth factor-1 （TGF-βI）, vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）, and interleukin-lO （IL-10） may be critical cytokines in the microenvironment of a tumor, playing roles in immune suppression. This study was conducted to elucidate the roles and immunosuppressive functions of these cytokines in epithelial ovarian cancer （EOC）. Methods： The expression levels of TGF-β1, VEGF and IL-10 in malignant tissue were evaluated by immune- histochemistry and compared with corresponding borderline, benign, and tumor-free tissues. Moreover, relationships among the levels of these cytokines and correlations between expression and the prognosis of EOC were analyzed by Pearson rank correlations and multi-factor Logistic regression. The roles of TGF-βI, VEGF, and IL-lO in the immunosuppressive microenvironment of ovarian cancer were studied through dendritic cell （DC） maturation and CD4＋CD25＋FoxP3＋ Treg generation in vitro experiments. Results： TGF-β1, VEGF, and IL-IO were expressed TGF-β1 was an independent prognostic factor for EOC n 100%, 74.69%, and 54.96% of EOC patients, respectively. L-IO was significantly co-expressed with VEGF. In vitro, VEGF and TGF-β31 strongly interfered with DC maturation and consequently led to immature DCs, which secreted high levels of IL-IO that accumulated around the tumor site. TGF-β1 and IL-10 induced Treg generation without antigen presentation in DCs. Conclusions： TGF-βI, VEGF and IL-IO play important roles in EOC and can lead to frequent immune evasion events.

Targeted therapies in epithelial ovarian cancer: Molecular mechanisms of action

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death in women with gynecological cancer. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and have a poor prognosis.Currently, surgical tumor debulking, followed by platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for advanced ovarian cancer. However, these patients are at great risk of recurrence and emerging drug resistance. Therefore, novel treatment strategies are required to improve outcomes for women with advanced ovarian cancer. A variety of molecular targeted agents, the majority of which are monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule protein-kinase inhibitors, have been explored in the management of ovarian cancer. The targets of these agents include angiogenesis, the human epidermal growth factor receptor family, ubiquitinproteasome pathway, epigenetic modulators, poly(ADPribose) polymerase (PARP), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, which are aberrant in tumor tissue. The antiangiogenic agent, bevacizumab, has been reported as the most effective targeted agent and should be included in the standard chemotherapeutic regimen for advanced ovarian cancer. PARP inhibitors, which are mainly used in breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene-mutated patients, and mTOR inhibitors are also attractive treatment strategies, either alone or combination with chemotherapy, for ovarian cancer. Understanding the tumor molecular biology and identification of predictive biomarkers are essential steps for selection of the best treatment strategies. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of the most promising targeted agents that are under early phase clinical evaluation for ovarian cancer.

Epithelial membrane protein 1 negatively regulates cell growth and metastasis in colorectal carcinoma

AIM: To determine the expression and function of epithelial membrane protein 1 (EMP1) in colorectal carcinoma.

PGC-la induces apoptosis in human epithelial ovarian cancer cells through a PPARy-dependent pathway

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma （PPAR）,） coactivator-1 alpha （PGC-1α） coactivates multiple transcription factors and regulates several metabolic processes. The current study investigated the role of PGC-1α in the induction of apoptosis in human epithelial ovarian cancer cells. The PGC-1α mRNA level between human ovaries and human ovarian epithelial tumors was examined by quantitative RT-PCR. Less PGC- 1α expression was found in the surface epithelium of malignant tumors compared with normal ovaries. Overexpression of PGC-1α in human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line Ho-8910 induced cell apoptosis through the coordinated regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax expression. Microarray analyses confirmed that PGC-1α dramatically affected the apoptosis-related genes in Ho-8910 cells. Mitochondrial functional assay showed that the induction of apoptosis was through the terminal stage by the release of cytochrome c. Furthermore, PG-C- 1 α-induced apoptosis was partially, but not completely, blocked by PPAR）, antagonist （GW9662）, and suppression of PPAR）, expression by siRNA also inhibited PGC-1α-induced apoptosis in Ho-8910 cells. These data suggested that PGC-1α exerted its effect through a PPARγ-dependent pathway. Our findings indicated that PGC-1α was involved in the apoptotic signal transduction pathways and downregulation of PGC-1α may be a key point in promoting epithelial ovarian cancer growth and progression.

Usefulness of human epididymis protein 4 in predicting cytoreductive surgical outcomes for advanced ovarian tubal and peritoneal carcinoma

Objective： Human epididymis protein 4（HE4） is a promising biomarker of epithelial ovarian cancer（EOC）. But its role in assessing the primary optimal debulking（OD） of EOC remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the ability of preoperative HE4 in predicting the primary cytoreductive outcomes in advanced EOC, tubal or peritoneal carcinoma.Methods： We reviewed the records of 90 patients with advanced ovarian, tubal or peritoneal carcinoma who underwent primary cytoreduction at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Peking University People＇s Hospital between November 2005 and October 2010. Preoperative serum HE4 and CA125 levels were detected with EIA kit. A receiver operating characteristic（ROC） curve was used to determine the most useful HE4 cut-off value. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant preoperative clinical characteristics to predict optimal primary cytoreduction.Results： OD was achieved in 47.7%（43/48） of patients. The median preoperative HE4 level for patients with OD vs. suboptimal debulking was 423 and 820 pmol/L, respectively（P〈0.001）. The areas under the ROC curve for HE4 and CA125 were 0.716 and 0.599, respectively（P=0.080）. The most useful HE4 cut-off value was 473 pmol/L. Suboptimal cytoreduction was obtained in 66.7%（38/57） of cases with HE4 ≥473 pmol/L compared with only 27.3%（9/33） of cases with HE4 〈473 pmol/L. At this threshold, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value（PPV） and negative predictive value（NPV） for diagnosing suboptimal debulking were 81%, 56%, 67%, and 73%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that the patients with HE4 ≥473 pmol/L were less likely to achieve OD（odds ratio =5.044, P=0.002）.Conclusions： Preoperative serum HE4 may be helpful to predict whether optimal cytoreductive surgery could be obtained or whether extended cytoreduction would be needed by an interdisciplinary team.

Inhibitory Effects of Anti-sense PTTG on Malignant Phenotype of Human Ovarian Carcinoma Cell Line SK-OV-3

To construct eukaryotic expression vector expressing full length anti-sense pituitary tumor transforming gene (PTTG) mRNA and observe its blocking effect on the potential invasion of human ovarian carcinoma cell line SK-OV-3. PCR primers containing designed enzyme cut sites were used for cloning full-length PTTG gene fragment, and the resulting PCR product was inserted into the eukaryotic vector pcDNA3.1 in the antisense direction. The recombinant vector was then transfected into SK-OV-3 by Lipofectamine. The positive cell clone was screened by G418, PTTG and bFGF at protein level expression were detected by Western blot. The biological behavior change of transfection positive cells was observed by colony formation in soft agar assay. Our results showed that SK-OV-3 clones stably expressing full-length recombinant pcDNA3.1-PTTGas were obtained. The expressions of PTTG and bFGF protein in transfected cells were decreased by 61.5 % and 52.3%, respectively as compared with non-transfected ones. The number of colony formation was reduced significantly in transfected cells as compared with empty vector transfected and non-transfected cells. It is concluded that the recombinant vector pcDNA3.1-PTTGas is a novel tool and provides an alternative anti-sense gene therapy targeted at PTTG in human carcinoma.