Abstract
Objective:
This study was to explore the role of EFEMP1 in ovarian tumor progression and its relationship with prognosis of ovarian carcinoma.
Methods:
EFEMP1 mRNA and protein expressions in normal ovarian tissue, ovarian tumor, high invasive subclones and low invasive subclones were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and real time RT-PCR. Serum EFEMP1 levels in patients with ovarian tumor were measured by ELISA assay. To assess the angiogenic properties of EFEMP1, VEGF and tumor microvessel density were analyzed in ovarian carcinoma by immunohistochemistry.
Results:
EFEMP1 expression was up-regulated in ovarian carcinoma, positively correlated with MVD and VEGF, and its overexpression and high serum levels were significantly associated with high stage, low differentiation, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of ovarian cancer. EFEMP1 expression was also found to be over-expressed in the highly invasive subclones compared with the low invasive subclones.
Conclusion:
EFEMP1 is a newly identified gene over-expressed in ovarian cancer, associated with poor clinicopathologic features and promotes angiogenesis. This study shows that EFEMP1 may serve as a new prognostic factor and a therapeutic target for patients with ovarian cancer in the future.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Antigens, CD34 / metabolism
-
Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial
-
Case-Control Studies
-
Cell Line, Tumor
-
Disease Progression
-
Extracellular Matrix Proteins / blood*
-
Extracellular Matrix Proteins / genetics
-
Female
-
Gene Expression
-
Humans
-
Kaplan-Meier Estimate
-
Microvessels / metabolism
-
Microvessels / pathology
-
Neoplasm Invasiveness
-
Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / blood supply
-
Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / blood*
-
Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / mortality
-
Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / pathology
-
Neovascularization, Pathologic / metabolism
-
Ovarian Neoplasms / blood supply
-
Ovarian Neoplasms / blood*
-
Ovarian Neoplasms / mortality
-
Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
-
Ovary / metabolism
-
Ovary / pathology
-
Prognosis
-
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism
Substances
-
Antigens, CD34
-
EFEMP1 protein, human
-
Extracellular Matrix Proteins
-
VEGFA protein, human
-
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Grants and funding
This study was supported by a grant-in-aid for scientific research from Shandong University (2012TS088) and National Nature Science Foundation of China (81202056). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.