Expression Of PTTG And Its Relation With The Expression Of BFGF Protein In Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Objective It has been suggested that pituitary tumor-transforming gene (PTTG), a novel oncogene, has played an important role in many human malignancies. However, little is known about its precise role in genesis and development of epithelial ovarian cancer. In this study , the expressions of mRNA and protein of PTTG were detected and the relationship with the clinical-pathological features . the expression of bFGF protein and MVD were analyzed in epithelial ovarian cancer.Methods Expression of PTTG mRNA and protein were assessed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry method respectively in 42 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer and compared with clinical characteristics, such as clinical-surgical stage, tumor vessel density, and expression of basic fibroblast growth factor. The corresponding benign and normal ovarian tissues were investigated as control group.Results 1. PTTG mRNA can be detected in all of the three tissues. PTTG mRNA was expressed'in 97.6% cases of epithelial ovarian cancers and 72.2%cases of benign epithelial ovarian tumors and 41.7% cases of normal ovarian tissues. The average expression quantity of PTTG mRNA is 0.884?.108 in epithelial ovarian cancers, 0.655?.180 in benign epithelial ovarian tumors and 0.345?.130 in normal ovarian tissues respectively. The expression rate and average quantity of PTTG mRNA is significantly higher in epithelial ovarian cancers than in benign epithelial ovarian tumors as well as in normal ovarian tissues (p<0.01). 2. The average quantity of PTTG mRNA was higher in stage III and IV than that in stage I and II (0.910?.078 VS 0.811 ?.145, P=0.00731). Similarly, the average quantity of PTTG mRNA was significantly higher in tissue with lymphatic metastasis than in those without lymphatic metastasis (0.927 + 0.096 VS 0.850?.106, p=0.02152) . There was no relationship between PTTG mRNA expression and age, pathological type and histological grade (p>0.05). 3. PTTG protein was expressed in 66.7% cases of epithelial ovarian cancers and 33.3% in benign epithelial ovarian tumors, but no expression of PTTG protein was found in normal-3-ovarian tissues. The expression of PTTG protein in epithelial ovarian cancers is significantly higher than in benign epithelial ovarian tumors and normal ovarian tissues (P<0.01). 4. The expression rate of PTTG protein was stronger in stageIII and IV 80.0% than in stage I and II 33.3% (P=0.01121). Similarly, the expression rate of PTTG protein was stronger in tissue with lymphatic metastasis 83.3% than in those without lymphatic metastasis 54.2% (P=0.09821). There was no relationship between PTTG protein expression and age, pathological type and histological grade (P>0.05). 5. The average quantity of PTTG mRNA in tissues with the bFGF protein coexpression was higher than that in those without bFGF protein coexpression (0.916+0.087 VS 0.847 ?.120, P=0.03877). The expression rate of PTTG protein in tissues with the bFGF protein coexpression was higher than that in those without bFGF protein coexpression (94.7% VS 43.5%, P=0.00148). 6. The MVD was positively correlated with expression of PTTG mRNA ( r=0.46604, P<0.05). The MVD in tissues with PTTG protein expression was higher than that in those without PTTG protein expression (34.5 ?12.3 VS 26.0+11.3, P=0.03617).Conclusion 1. The expression of PTTG mRNA and protein was higher in epithelial ovarian carcinomas than that in those corresponding benign tumors and normal tissues. The results suggest that PTTG might play an important role in the carcinogenesis of epithelial ovarian carcinomas. 2. Overexpression of both PTTG mRNA and protein were related to clinical-surgical stage and lymphatic metastasis in epithelial ovarian carcinomas. One possible explain is that the overexpressed bFGF, which was up-regulated by PTTG, activated the angiogenesis in epithelial ovarian carcinomas.