Overexpression of the epithelial cell adhesion molecule is associated with a more favorable prognosis and response to platinum-based chemotherapy in ovarian cancer / 부인종양

OBJECTIVE: Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) has experienced a renaissance lately as a binding site for targeted therapy as well as a prognostic marker in epithelial malignancies. Aim of this study was to study EpCAM as a potential prognostic marker in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). METHODS: EpCAM expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded primary EOC-tissue samples. EpCAM overexpression was defined as an expression of EpCAM of 76% to 100%. Tissue samples and clinical data were systematically collected within the international and multicenter "Tumorbank Ovarian Cancer" network. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients, diagnosed with EOC between 1994 and 2009, were included in the study (median age, 56 years; range, 31 to 86 years). The majority of the patients (81.1%) presented with an advanced stage International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) III/IV disease. Histology was of the serous type in 41 patients (55.4%), endometrioid in 19 (25.6%), and mucinous in 14 (19%). EpCAM was overexpressed in 87.7%. Serous tumors overexpressed EpCAM significantly more often than mucinous tumors (87.8% vs. 78.6%, p=0.045); while no significant difference was noted between the other histological subgroups. EpCAM overexpression was significantly associated with a better progression free survival and higher response rates to platinum based chemotherapy (p=0.040 and p=0.048, respectively). EpCAM was identified as an independent prognostic marker for overall survival (p=0.022). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate a significant association of EpCAM overexpression with a more favorable survival in EOC-patients. Serous cancers showed a significant EpCAM overexpression compared to mucinous types. Larger multicenter analyses are warranted to confirm these findings.

Analysis of HLA-G gene expression in b-lymphocytes from chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients

The human leukocyte antigen G [HLA-G] molecule exhibits limited tissue distribution, low polymorphism and alternative splicings that generate seven HLA-G isoforms. HLA-G exerts multiple immunoregulatory functions. Recent studies indicate an ectopic up-regulation in tumor cells that may favor their escape from anti-tumor immune responses. This study it is an effort to clarify the presence of HLA-G in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia [B-CLL] patients. HLA-G mRNA expression was studied in a pilot study in circulating B-CLL and also healthy controls by reverse transcription [RT]-PCR using a set of pan-HLA-G primers. RT-PCR was performed on B-cells from 74 B-CLL patients and 12 healthy controls. The data showed HLA-G gene expression in 20% of the B-CLL patients. No expression of HLA-G could be detected in the healthy control group. These data suggest that HLA-G is expressed at the gene level in B cells from B-CLL patients but not in B cells from healthy controls. Further study is required to clarify the role of HLA-G as a regulatory factor that could affect immune response in B-CLL patients