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Taxol-resistance-associated gene-3 (TRAG-3/CSAG2) expression is predictive for clinical outcome in ovarian carcinoma patients

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Abstract

An obstacle in chemotherapy of ovarian cancer is the development of drug resistance. Taxol (paclitaxel)-resistance-associated gene-3 (TRAG-3/CSAG2) was found to be overexpressed in a paclitaxel-resistant ovarian carcinoma cell line. However, clinical impact of TRAG-3 in ovarian carcinoma has not been demonstrated previously. For demonstration of potential clinical impact of TRAG-3, immunohistochemistry was applied to determine TRAG-3 protein expression in specimens obtained from ovarian carcinoma patients (n = 37) who received a paclitaxel-based chemotherapy at two different time points, initial laparotomy before chemotherapy, and secondary cytoreduction after chemotherapy. The TRAG-3-specific immunohistochemical staining was correlated with clinical outcome. In ovarian carcinoma specimens obtained at the initial laparotomy, an advantage in overall (P < 0.001) and progression-free (P = 0.003) survival for patients with weak TRAG-3 expression could be demonstrated. Tumor specimens excised at secondary cytoreduction procedure were not predictive for clinical outcome. In summary, TRAG-3 was found to be a prognostic factor for the prediction of clinical outcome after the application of paclitaxel-based chemotherapy.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by the “Berliner Krebsgesellschaft e.V.” and by grant LA 1039/2-3 of the “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathology, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Verena Materna, Paweł Surowiak, Manfred Dietel & Hermann Lage

  2. Department of Histology and Embryology, Wrocław Medical University, Chalubińskiego 6a, 50-368, Wrocław, Poland

    Paweł Surowiak & Maciej Zabel

  3. Lower Silesian Center of Oncology, pl. Hirszfelda 12, 53-413, Wrocław, Poland

    Paweł Surowiak

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, ul. Polna 33, 60-535, Poznań, Poland

    Irina Kaplenko & Marek Spaczyński

  5. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Jackson 1029, 70 Blossom St., Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Zhenfeng Duan

  6. Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Swięcickiego 6, 60-781, Poznań, Poland

    Maciej Zabel

Authors
  1. Verena Materna
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  2. Paweł Surowiak
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  3. Irina Kaplenko
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  4. Marek Spaczyński
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  5. Zhenfeng Duan
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  6. Maciej Zabel
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  7. Manfred Dietel
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  8. Hermann Lage
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Correspondence to Hermann Lage.

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Materna, V., Surowiak, P., Kaplenko, I. et al. Taxol-resistance-associated gene-3 (TRAG-3/CSAG2) expression is predictive for clinical outcome in ovarian carcinoma patients. Virchows Arch 450, 187–194 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-006-0346-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-006-0346-7

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