Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica (May 2010)

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and its receptors in epithelial ovarian cancer.

  • Jacek Nikliński,
  • Piotr S Bernaczyk,
  • Wieslawa Niklińska,
  • Magdalena Garbowicz,
  • Slawomir J Terlikowski,
  • Bozena Dobrzycka,
  • Maciej Kinalski,
  • Lech Chyczewski

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5603/4312
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 47, no. 4
pp. 609 – 613

Abstract

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The aim of the present study was to characterize the expression pattern of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and its receptors (TNF-Rs) in the epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and compare these results with the outcome of 126 patients. Presence of TNF-alpha, TNFR-1 and TNFR-2 were studied by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The proportion of samples positive for TNF-alpha and TNF-R2 was higher in epithelial ovarian cancer patients than in benign ovarian diseases (p<0.001 and p=0.016, respectively). Immunostaining intensity of TNF-R2 were correlated with tumor stage (p<0.001) and with reduced mean survival time (MST) (p=0.002). The results of the present study suggested that tissue expression of TNF-R2 in epithelial ovarian cancer was correlated with the highest risk of cancer progression. Thus, the clinical value of activated TNF system in epithelial ovarian cancer needs to be further investigated.