Integrin-linked Kinase Expression Increases With Ovarian Tumour Grade And Its Clinical Significance

Integrin-linked kinase is a serine/threonine kinase that binds to the cytoplasmic domains ofβ1,andβ3 integrins and mediates the link between cell and extracellular matrix.As a PI-3k kinase-dependent kinase,it transmits extracellular signals to the downstream by phosphorylation of its downstream targets-protein kinase B(PKB/AKT) and glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β),and participates in the regulation of cell survival , proliferation, differentiation, adhesion,migration and so on. Since the crucial role of ILK in transmiting intracellular and extracellular signals,as well as the cell cycle arrest and the initiation of cell apoptosis by suppressing the activity of ILK,ILK becomes an attractive target for tumor gene and medicine therapeutics.Objective: To demonstrate the relative expression of integrin -linked kinase (ILK) in normal, benign,low-grade,and high-grade ( borderline,grade1/2,and grade3)ovarian tumour in order to study expression and clinical meaning of ILK in epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods: 144 specimens including normals(n=10), benign (n=20) (10 serious,10 mucinous),borderline(n=28) (12 serious,16 mucinous), carcinoma(n=86)( 49 serious, 13 mucinous, 16 endometrioid , 8 clear cell carcinoma) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry staining (SP methods) .The difference of ILK expression was determined by chi-square test using the SPSS 10.0 statistical package.Results:1. Normal ovaries and benign ovarian tumoursNo immunoreactive ILK was observed in normal ovaries(n=10) or in five of ten benign ovarian serous cystadenomas.The other five benign...