The Expression And Clinical Significance Of OLFM4Protein In Cervical Lesions

ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of OLFM4protein in normal cervical epithelial(NCE),cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and squamous cell carcinoma of uterine(SCC),to analysis its association with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, to discuss itscorrelation not only with the progression of cervical neoplasia, but also with clinicalpathological parameters of cervical carcinoma.MethodsA total of135formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens were used in thisstudy and selected from the Department of Pathology, Women and Children HealthHospital of Jinan. Cases of NCE,CINⅠ,CINⅡ,CINⅢ and SCC were20,25,31,27and32,respectively.The age of patients was21-66years old, mean age was41.9years old,median age was42years old. All cases had complete clinical data and medical records, aswell,all patients didn’t receive chemotherapy and radiotherapy before surgery.Immunohistochemistry S-P (Streptavidin-Perdcidase) method was used to evaluate theexpression of OLFM4in each tissue. SPSS13.0was used for statistical analysis of the data,P＜0.05was considered statistical significant.Results1.The results of this study showed that OLFM4positive staining, pale yellow orbrown granules with focal or diffuse distribution, mainly localized in the cytoplasm, a littlein the nucleus. The positive expression rates of NCE, CIN and SCC were20.0%,94.0%and96.8%, respectively, and it was statistical significant (P＜0.01). Compared two groupsrandomly, the positive expression rate of CIN group was higher than NCE group and thedifference was statistical significant(P＜0.01); the positive expression rate of SCC groupwas higher than NCE group and the difference was statistical significant(P＜0.01); thepositive expression rate of SCC group was higher than CIN group and the difference was statistical significant(P＜0.05). With the progression of CIN group, the positive expressionrates of OLFM4were92.0%,93.5%and96.3%, respectively, and the difference wasstatistical significant (P＜0.01). The positive expression rate of CINⅡgroup was higherthan CINⅠgroup and the difference was statistical significant(P＜0.01); the rate of CINⅢgroup was higher than CINⅠ group and the difference was statistical significant(P＜0.01);the rate of CINⅢ group was higher than CINⅠgroup and the difference was not statisticalsignificant(P＞0.05).2.The positive expression rates of OLFM4in NCE, CINⅠ, CINⅡ,CINⅢ and SCCwere20%,92%,93.5%,96.3%and96.8%, respectively. With the progression of cervicallesions, the rate was increasing, and the relationship between positive expression rate ofOLFM4and cervical lesions was positive correlation(r=0.611，P＜0.01).3.In the SCC group:the positive expression rates of OLFM4in age≤43years groupand＞43years group were100%and94.1%, respectively, the difference of two groupwas not statistical significant(P＞0.05); the rates in clinical stageⅠgroup and stageⅡgroup were100%and92.9%, respectively, the difference was not statistical significant(P＞0.05); the rates in tumor maximum diameter≤4cm group and＞4cm group were95.7%and100%, respectively, the difference was not statistical significant(P＞0.05); the rates inwell-differentiated, moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated group were100%,100%and91.7%, respectively, the difference was statistical significant (P＜0.01);the well-differentiated group and moderately differentiated group was not statisticalsignificant(P＞0.05); the positive expression of OLFM4in well or moderatelydifferentiated group was higher than poorly differentiated group, the difference wasstatistical significant (P＜0.01). The relationship between positive expression rate ofOLFM4and cervical cancer differentiation was negative correlation(r=―0.589，P＜0.01).The rates in superficial muscle group and deep muscle group were95.5%and100%,respectively, the difference was not statistical significant(P＞0.05);the rate in no lymphnode metastasis group and lymph node metastasis group were95.2%and100%,respectively, the difference was not statistical significant(P＞0.05).Conclusions1.OLFM4was closely related to the development process of cervical intraepithelialneoplasia. Its level of expression was significantly higher in high-grade CIN than inlow-grade. It could be used as a molecular marker to predict the final of CIN. 2.As an anti-apoptotic factor, OLFM4was closely related to the development andprogression of cervical carcinoma. With cervical lesions progression, they were positivecorrelation, indicating that high expression of OLFM4closely related to cervicalcarcinoma development and progression. It was expected to become a new tumor marker.3.A striking correlation had also been demonstrated between OLFM4expression andhistological differentiation of cervical carcinoma. The expression level of OLFM4in wellor moderately differentiated group was higher than poorly differentiated group, suggestingthat the expression level of OLFM4could reflect the prognosis of patients with cervicalcancer, as an indicator.