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Clinicopathological significance of WT1 expression in ovarian cancer: a possible accelerator of tumor progression in serous adenocarcinoma

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Abstract

Recently, oncogenic potential of the WT1 gene has been proposed in some human solid tumors and leukemias. Although previous studies have shown the frequent expression of the WT1 protein in ovarian serous adenocarcinomas (OSAs), its clinicopathologic significance is still unclear. We immunohistochemically examined the expression status of WT1 in 119 OSAs and analyzed the correlation of the intensity of WT1 immunoreactivity with the level of WT1 mRNA expression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, clinicopathologic variables, expression of p53, Bcl-2, and Ki-67 labeling index (LI). Of 119 OSAs, nuclear WT1 immunoreactivity was positive in 99 (83%), of which 44 (44%) and 55 (56%) exhibited high and low WT1 immunoreactivities, respectively. The quantitative WT1 mRNA levels were significantly correlated with the intensity of WT1 immunoreactivity (P < 0.05). In comparison with WT1-negative OSAs, the WT1-positive OSAs showed a higher grade (P = 0.007), advanced stage (P = 0.018), and higher Ki-67 LI (P < 0.001). Additionally, high WT1 immunoreactivity was correlated with a higher grade (P = 0.003), Ki-67 LI (P = 0.012), Bcl-2 expression (P = 0.003), and poorer patient outcome (5-year survival, 36.5 vs 63.8%, P = 0.008 by log-rank test). The WT1 protein may be an accelerator of the progression of OSA.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported in part by a grant-in-aid for special research from National Defense Medical College, and by a grant-in-aid for cancer research from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic Pathology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan

    Sohei Yamamoto, Hitoshi Tsuda & Osamu Matsubara

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan

    Tsunekazu Kita, Kazuyuki Fujii, Kazuya Kudoh & Kenichi Furuya

  3. Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan

    Sohei Yamamoto, Kazunari Maekawa & Seiichi Tamai

  4. Department of Molecular Cytogenetics, Medical Research Institute and School of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Johji Inazawa

  5. Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST) of Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan

    Hitoshi Tsuda & Johji Inazawa

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  1. Sohei Yamamoto
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  2. Hitoshi Tsuda
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Correspondence to Hitoshi Tsuda.

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Yamamoto, S., Tsuda, H., Kita, T. et al. Clinicopathological significance of WT1 expression in ovarian cancer: a possible accelerator of tumor progression in serous adenocarcinoma. Virchows Arch 451, 27–35 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-007-0433-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-007-0433-4

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