High Expression of SOD2 Protein Is a Strong Prognostic Factor for Stage IIIB Squamous Cell Cervical Carcinoma
Maria Cecília Ramiro Talarico,
Rafaella Almeida Lima Nunes,
Gabriela Ávila Fernandes Silva,
Larissa Bastos Eloy da Costa,
Marcella Regina Cardoso,
Sérgio Carlos Barros Esteves,
Luis Otávio Zanatta Sarian,
Luiz Carlos Zeferino,
Lara Termini
Affiliations
Maria Cecília Ramiro Talarico
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic and Breast Oncology, School of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP—Universidade Estadual de Campinas), Campinas, São Paulo 13081970, Brazil
Rafaella Almeida Lima Nunes
Centro de Investigação Translacional em Oncologia, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403911, Brazil
Gabriela Ávila Fernandes Silva
Centro de Investigação Translacional em Oncologia, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403911, Brazil
Larissa Bastos Eloy da Costa
Department of Pathology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP—Universidade Estadual de Campinas), Campinas, São Paulo 13083887, Brazil
Marcella Regina Cardoso
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic and Breast Oncology, School of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP—Universidade Estadual de Campinas), Campinas, São Paulo 13081970, Brazil
Sérgio Carlos Barros Esteves
Department of Radiotherapy, Division of Gynecologic and Breast Oncology, Women’s Hospital Professor Doutor José Aristodemo Pinotti—Centro de Atenção Integral à Saúde da Mulher (CAISM), State University of Campinas (UNICAMP—Universidade Estadual de Campinas), Campinas, São Paulo 13083881, Brazil
Luis Otávio Zanatta Sarian
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic and Breast Oncology, School of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP—Universidade Estadual de Campinas), Campinas, São Paulo 13081970, Brazil
Luiz Carlos Zeferino
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic and Breast Oncology, School of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP—Universidade Estadual de Campinas), Campinas, São Paulo 13081970, Brazil
Lara Termini
Centro de Investigação Translacional em Oncologia, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403911, Brazil
High superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) expression is associated with a poor prognosis at many cancer sites, the presence of metastases, and more advanced cervical cancer. This study aims to determine whether SOD2 protein expression is associated with the prognosis of stage IIIB cervical carcinoma. Methods: sixty-three patients with stage IIIB squamous cell cervical carcinoma were included. The evaluation of SOD2 expression by immunohistochemistry was based on a positive cell ratio score and the staining intensity score. Taking disease recurrence and death as endpoints, receiver operating characteristic curves were used to discriminate between high and low SOD2 expression. Results: high SOD2 expression was associated with recurrence (p = 0.001), distant recurrence (p = 0.002), and death (p = 0.005). A multivariate analysis showed that patients with high SOD2 expression had a threefold increased risk for recurrence (HR = 3.16; 1.33–7.51) and death (HR = 2.98; 1.20–7.40) compared with patients who had low SOD2 expression. Patients with high SOD2 expression had shorter disease-free survival (p = 0.001) and overall survival (p = 0.003) than patients with low SOD2 expression. Conclusion: high SOD2 expression is a strong prognostic factor for stage IIIB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and could be used as a prognostic marker in women with cervical carcinoma.
