Expression Of C-kit Protein In Serous Ovarian Tumors And Its Clinical Significance

Objective: To investigate the expression of c-kit protein in serous ovarian tumor and its clinical significance and analyse the relationship of the expression with the development of serous ovarian tumor and survival of patients with serous ovarian cancer.Methods: Parafin-embedded tissue specimens from 38 cases of serous ovarian carcinomas, 12 cases of serous neoplasms of low malignant potential(LMP), 11 cases of benign serous cystadeomas were examined by monoclonal antibody of c-kit protein with immunhistochemical technique. Their differences of c-kit expression among the three group were assessed by Pearson Chi-Square test. The correlation between c-kit expression and clinicopathological parameters were assessed by Pearson Chi-Square test, too. The probability of overall survival as function of time was determined by life-table and Kaplan-Meier method. High risk factors of serous ovarian carcinomas patients survival time were analysed by cox's proportional hazard regression model. Generally, p＜0.05 were considered software version 13.0 was used.Results: (1)c-kit proteins expression were detected as granular cytoplasmic and/or plasmamembrane.(2)The positive expression rate of c-kit proteins in benign serous cystadenomas, serous neoplasms of low malignant potential, serous ovarian carcinoma were 0%(0/11), 25% (3/12), 63.2% (24/38), respectively. The differences of c-kit proteins expression between serous neoplasms of low malignant potential and serous ovarian carcinoma was as statistically significant as that between benign serous cystadenomas and serous ovarian carcinoma (P＜0.05). The difference between benign serous cystadenomas and serous neoplasms of low malignant potential was not statistically significant (P＞0.05).(3) In serous ovarian carcinoma, the positive expression of c-kit proteins in low differentiated grade group was higher than that in high and middle differetiated grade group (P＜0.05). It rose with the development of FIGO clinical stages (P＜0.05), While age and residual tumors had no statistical significance (P＞0.05). The expression of c-kit protein was associated with chemotherapy sensitivity (P＜0.05).(4) Immunostaining for c-kit protein had predictive value for overall survival (P=0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed only the positive rate of c-kit protein expression, FIGO stage and residual tumors after first surgery(P=0.011,0.014,0.003) as independent prognostic factors for overall survial.Conclusion: (1)c-kit protein is frequently up-regulated in serous ovarian carcinomas, c-kit protein expression may be a good marker in diagnosis of serous ovarian carcinomas and its up-regulation may play an improtant role in the progression of serous ovarian carcinomas.(2) In serous ovarian carcinoma, the expression c-kit proteins was correlated with the histological and FIGO clinical stages and chemotherapy sensitivity, it proteins expression may be related to the invasion of carcinoma the high expression of c-kit is independent correlation factor for disease prognosis.