RESUMO
Abstract Purpose: To investigate the place of the transcription factor nuclear kappa B (NF-kB), which is a marker of chronic inflammation, in the etiology of the ovarian carcinoma. Methods: NFkB analysis with the immunohistochemical method has been performed. To evaluate immunohistochemical NF-kB expression in the ovarian tissue, the H-score method. H-score = ∑ Pi (i+1), where ''Pi'' is the percentage of stained cells in each intensity category (0-100%) and ''i'' is the intensity indicating weak (i=1), moderate (i=2) or strong staining (i=3). Results: It has been seen that, the mean H score is statistically significantly higher in the patient group with serous and musinous adenocarcinoma diagnosis than the two other patient groups (p<0.005). Conclusions: Factor nuclear kappa B is an important mediator that acts in the chronic inflammation. The highest expression rates are determined by the immunohistochemical method in the ovarian cancer group.