Journal List > Korean J Obstet Gynecol > v.54(12) > 1088374

Park, Lee, Suh, Kim, and Yoon: The clinicopathological relevance for the expression of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine in epithelial ovarian tumors

Abstract

Objective

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is an extracellular matrix-associated protein implicated in the modulation of cell adhesion, migration, cell cycle regulation, and angiogenesis. It has been associated with the progression or suppression of various cancers. This study was aimed at correlating SPARC protein expression with tumor progression and clinicopathological features in ovarian epithelial tumors.

Methods

Epithelial ovarian cancer (n=69), borderline tumor (n=18), benign tumor (n=10) and normal ovary tissues were obtained after operation. SPARC protein expression was examined using immunohistochemistry. With a retrospective review, patients' characteristics and slide samples were analyzed.

Results

Cytoplasmic SPARC immunoreactivity was observed in stromal cells in nearly all cases of normal ovary, benign and borderline tumors (100%, 94.7%, and 100%). In contrast, SPARC was detected in the stroma of 63.8% (44/69) and the score of immunoreactivity was significantly reduced in malignant tumors (P <0.001). SPARC expression in ovarian epithelial cancers was significantly associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage. However, it was not correlated with other clinicopathologic parameters, including histologic type, tumor grade, nuclear grade, mitosis, tumor size, local recurrence, distant metastasis, and survival.

Conclusion

This study showed that reduction of SPARC expression in ovarian epithelial tumors is significantly correlated with tumor invasiveness and SPARC may act as tumor suppressor.

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1
Immunohistochemical analysis of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine expression in normal ovary (A, ×100), benign (B, ×200), and borderline ovarian tumors (C, ×200). Positive immunoreactivity is shown in stromal cells.
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Fig. 2
Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine immunoreactivity in ovarian epithelial cancers. Stromal cells in ovarian epithelial cells showed positive (A, ×200) and negative immunoreactivity (B, ×200).
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Table 1
Patients characteristics
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WHO, World Health Organization; FIGO, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Table 2
Scores for the immunohistochemical staining of SPARC in ovarian epithelial tumors
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SPARC, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine.

aOne-way analysis of variance test.

Table 3
Comparison between immunoreactivity of SPARC and clinicopathologic variables
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Values are presented as number (%).

SPARC, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine; FIGO, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics; DOD, died of disease.

aPearson's chi-square test.

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