Markers of progression and development of metastases in ovarian carcinomas estimated using gene expression profiles
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Molecular mechanisms of ovarian cancer development are not fully understood.
Specific genetic markers of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) progression and development of metastases enabling better prognostication and targeted therapies are lacking. The aim of this study was to give an overview of gene expression profiling (ABC and SLC transporter genes, genes associated with drug metabolism and inactivation, cell cycle regulation and mismatch DNA repair mechanism) between primary EOC tissues, EOC metastases, and benign ovaries.
This study also provided information about associations of gene expression profile with clinico-pathological features of EOC patients. Overall, among 61 estimated genes, 32 genes were deregulated in primary EOC tumors compared to controls.
Moreover, six genes were deregulated in metastases compared to primary tumors. Increasing tendency in ABCA7 expression in direction benign ovaries < primary tumors < metastases and opposite tendency for NR1H4 expression was observed.
MSH2 and TP53 gene expression significantly associated with EOC stage and that of ABCA3 gene was significantly increased in high-grade serous tumors. Our study revealed several novel markers of EOC progression; ABCA3, ABCA7, MSH2, NR1H4, and TP53 genes seem to be the most interesting ones.
The potential clinical utility of these candidate markers needs to be validated by a larger independent study.