Cell cycle-related phosphatases CDC25A and B expression correlates with survival in ovarian cancer patients

Alterations in cell cycle regulating proteins are common in many cancer typ es. Recent data suggest a possible link between CDC25 phosphatases overexpr ession and malignancy. Our objective was to evaluate the expression of the three cell cycle-related phosphatases CDC25A, CDC25B and CDC25C in patients with ovarian cancer. All the patients had a minimal follow up of three yea rs. CDC25A, CDC25B and CDC25C expression were investigated by immunohistoch emistry in 106 patients with ovarian cancer. CDC25A and CDC25B were found e xpressed in almost all the samples analyzed, while CDC25C was undetectable in more than 80% of the patients. The low evaluable data on CDC25C expressi on, did not allow any association between the expression of this phosphatas e and prognosis. The expression of CDC25A and CDC25B showed some evidences of association with a poor prognosis (p = 0.034 and p = 0.058 respectively) . This relationship was independent of other factors such as tumor grade, h istotype, stage and residual tumor after surgery. In the same patients the examined parameters (residual tumor; grade, stage and histotype) did show t he expected relation with survival. The results indicate that high CDC25A a nd CDC25B expression is related to at worse prognosis in ovarian cancer pat ients. CDC25 phosphatases expression can be regarded as a possible prognost ic factor for ovarian cancer and these proteins should be evaluated as pote ntial molecular targets of novel drugs against this human neoplasm.