Expression of angiogenesis-related genes in ovarian carcinoma - A clinicopathologic study

Angiogenic factors play a role in tumor growth and spread. The object of th is study was to analyze the correlation between mRNA expression of angiogen esis-related genes and disease outcome in advanced-stage ovarian carcinomas . Sections from 66 primary ovarian carcinomas and metastatic lesions from 4 1 patients diagnosed with advanced stage ovarian carcinoma (FIGO stages III -IV) were evaluated for expression of basic fibroblast factor (bFGF), inter leukin-8 (IL-8), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) using mRNA I n Situ Hybridization (ISH). Patients were divided in two groups based on di sease outcome. Long-term survivors (17 patients) and short-term survivors ( 24 patients) were defined using a double cut-off of 36 months for disease-f ree survival (DFS) and 60 months for overall survival (OS). Mean follow-up period was 70 months. The mean values for DFS and OS were 116 and 133 month s for long-term survivors, as compared to 3 and 21 months for short-term su rvivors, respectively. Expression of bFGF mRNA, most often intense, was det ected in tumor and stromal cells in the majority of cases. Weak expression of IL-8 mRNA was detected in both cell compartments, while VEGF mRNA expres sion was limited to few cases. Primary tumors displayed higher bFGF and IL- 8 mRNA expression. However, these differences did not reach statistical sig nificance (P > 0.05). bFGF, IL-8 and VEGF mRNA expression in both tumor and stromal cells was comparable in tumors of long-term and short-term survivo rs, and showed no correlation with disease outcome in survival analysis (P > 0.05). bFGF is the major angiogenic factor expressed in ovarian carcinoma at the mRNA level. mRNA expression of VEGF, bFGF, and IL-8 does not appear to be a predictor of disease outcome in advanced-stage ovarian carcinoma.