The Expression Of Tn Antigen In Ovarian Epithelial Cancer And Their Clinical Significance

ObjectiveWe detected Tn antigen expression in ovarian epithelial cancer and analysed therelationship between Tn antigen expression and clinicopathological features. Then weexplored the correlation of Tn antigen in occurrence and development of ovariantumor. Hope for providing a new reference index on guiding clinical diagnosis andtreatment on early stage and recurrence in ovarian cancer.MethodsThe expressions of Tn antigen in normal ovarian tissues, benign ovarian tumors,borderline ovarian tumors and ovarian epithelial carcinomas were examined by SPmethod with Vicia villosa Lectin (VVL) lectin. Statistical analysis were carried out byusing the statistics package SPSS19.0. Other statistical analyses were performedusing Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test.Results1.The positive expression of Tn antigen in normal ovarian tissues, ovarianbenign tumors, borderline ovarian tumors and ovarian epithelial cancers was0,12%,50%,88%, respectively. The positive expression of Tn antigen in ovarian epithelialcancers was88%, significantly higher than that in ovarian benign tumors (P<0.01)and that in borderline ovarian tumors (P<0.01). The positive expression of Tn antigenin borderline ovarian tumors was50%, significantly higher than that in ovarian benigntumors (P<0.05). To be noticed, there was no difference between normal tissues andovarian benign tumors (P>0.05).2. Tn antigen was highly expressed88%(44/50) in ovarian cancer. The positiveexpression of Tn antigen were80%(8/10),100%(6/6),89%(16/18),100%(10/10),67%(4/6) in serous ovarian cancer, mucinous ovarian cancer, endometrial ovariancancer, clear cell carcinoma and undifferentiated ovarian cancer, respectively. Therewere no statistical difference between different tissue types (P>0.05).3.The positive expression of Tn antigen in early surgical pathological stagegroup was lower than that in late surgical pathological stage. The positive expression of Tn antigen was significantly different between stageⅠandⅡ (P <0.05), and wasstatistically different between stageⅠand Ⅲ (P <0.05).There was no statisticallydifferent between stageⅡand Ⅲ (P>0.05).4.The positive expression of Tn antigen in high, medium and low differentiationof ovarian cancer were67%(4/6),75%(6/8),100%(20/20). The expression of Tnantigen in low differentiation of ovarian cancer tissue was higher than that in highdifferentiation and medium differentiation, respectively. There was significantdifference between low differentiation and high differentiation of ovarian cancer(P <0.05).5.The positive expression of Tn antigen in ovarian cancer with lymph nodemetastasis was94%(15/16). The positive expression of Tn antigen in ovarian cancerwithout lymph node metastasis was85%(29/34). There was no significant differencebetween the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion1.The positive expression of Tn antigen in normal ovarian tissues, benignovarian tumors was extremely low, but it was significantly high in borderline ovariantumors and ovarian epithelial carcinomas. This suggested that the expression of Tnantigen might play a role in the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer.2.The positive expression of Tn antigen was associated with FIGO stage andhistological grades. With FIGO stage and histological grades elevating, the positiveexpression of Tn antigen was gradually increasing. Tn antigen expression was notrelated with lymph node metastasis and histological grades. Tn antigen might beinvolved in the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer, and also might be as atumor marker for ovarian cancer. Tn antigen was possible to indicate the prognosis ofovarian cancer.