E-cadherin complex protein expression and survival in ovarian carcinoma

Objective. The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between exp ression of E-cadherin complex proteins, epidermal growth factor receptor (E GFR), and c-erbB-2 and disease outcome in advanced-stage ovarian carcinomas . Methods. Sections from 75 primary ovarian carcinomas (=37) and metastatic l esions (=38) from 45 patients diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian carcino ma (FIGO stage III-TV) were immunostained and evaluated for staining patter n, extent, and intensity. Patients were divided in two groups based on dise ase outcome. Long-term survivors (21 patients) and short-term survivors (24 patients) were defined using a double cutoff of 36 months for disease-free survival (DFS) and 60 months for overall survival (OS). Mean follow-up per iod was 70 months. The mean values for DFS and OS were 109 and 125 months f or long-term survivors, as compared to 3 and 21 months for short-term survi vors, respectively. Results. Comparison of all primary and metastatic lesions showed upregulati on of gamma -catenin protein expression in the latter (P = 0.05). When segr egated according to disease outcome, the expression of all studied proteins , with the exception of EGFR, was more diffuse in tumors of short-term surv ivors. The presence of cytoplasmic staining for c-erbB-2 was associated wit h poor survival in the entire cohort (P = 0.007), as well as in primary tum ors alone (P = 0.003), in survival analysis. Similar results were seen in t he evaluation of primary tumors for gamma -catenin (P = 0.002). Conclusions. gamma -Catenin, and possibly c-erbB-2, are valid markers of po or survival in advanced-stage ovarian carcinoma, (C) 2000 Academic Press.