Topoisomerase 1A, HER/2neu and Ki67 expression in paired primary and relapse ovarian cancer tissue samples
P. Surowiak1,2,3, V. Materna1, I. Kaplenko4, M. Spaczynski4, M. Dietel1, H. Lage1 and M. Zabel2,5
1Charité Campus Mitte, Institute of Pathology, Berlin, Germany, 2Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology, University School of Medicine, Wroclaw, Poland, 3Lower Silesian Centre of Oncology, Wroclaw, Poland, 4Chair and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University School of Medicine, Poznan, Poland and 5Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology, University School of Medicine, Poznán, Poland
Offprint requests to: Dr Hermann Lage, Charité Campus Mitte, Institute of Pathology, Schumannstr, 20/21, D-10117, Berlin, Germany. e-mail: hermann.lage@charite.de
Summary. In the present study we examined prognostic value of immunohistochemical estimation of topoisomerase 1A (TOP 1A) and HER-2/neu expression in ovarian cancers treated with platinum-based drugs but not with topotecan and the relation between expression of these proteins on the one hand and intensity of proliferation (Ki67) on the other. The analyses were performed on 73 samples of ovarian carcinoma originating from 43 first-look laparotomies (FLL) and, in 30 cases, from secondary cytoreductions (SCR)(after chemotherapy) from the same patients. In paraffin sections immunohistochemical reactions were performed using antibodies directed to HER-2/neu, TOP 1A and Ki67. Kaplan-Meier’s analysis disclosed a shorter overall survival time in cases with augmented expression of TOP 1A at FLL and with higher expression of Ki67 at SCR. A shorter progression-free time was detected in cases with higher proportion of Ki67 positive cells at FLL. No relationship could be disclosed between HER-2/neu expression and the studied clinicopathological parameters. The studies confirmed high value of Ki67 estimation. The augmented expression of TOP 1A was demonstrated to represent an unfavourable prognostic factor. Thus, in cases with elevated expression of TOP 1A application of topotecan-based therapeutic schemes should be considered. Histol Histopathol 21, 713-720 (2006)
Key words: Ovarian cancer, Topoisomerase 1A, HER-2/neu, Ki67
DOI: 10.14670/HH-21.713