Downregulation of KAI1 Metastasis Suppressor Protein Is Associated with a Dismal Prognosis in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

• Published in: Gynecologic oncology 2001-11, Vol.83 (2), p.244-248
• Main Authors: Schindl, Monika, Birner, Peter, Breitenecker, Gerhard, Oberhuber, Georg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antigens, CD; Biological and medical sciences; Down-Regulation; Epithelial Cells - pathology; Female; Female genital diseases; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; KAI1; Kangai-1 Protein; Medical sciences; Membrane Glycoproteins - biosynthesis; Membrane Glycoproteins - genetics; metastasis; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Staging; ovarian cancer; Ovarian Neoplasms - genetics; Ovarian Neoplasms - metabolism; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Ovarian Neoplasms - surgery; Prognosis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; survival; Survival Rate; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - biosynthesis; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - genetics; Tumors
• ISSN: 0090-8258; 1095-6859
• DOI: 10.1006/gyno.2001.6366

Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of downregulation of KAI1 metastasis suppressor protein in epithelial ovarian cancer. In addition, correlation of KAI1 and p53 immunostaining was investigated. Methods. Expression of KAI1 and p53 was immunohistochemically determined in 107 specimens of epithelial ovarian cancer stages I–IV. Survival of patients was investigated using uni- and multivariate analysis. Results. Strong KAI1 expression was observed in 17.8% of cases, moderate in 27.1%, weak in 21.5%, and complete loss of KAI1 expression in 33.6%. Overexpression of p53 protein was observed in 45.8%. There was correlation of KAI1 expression neither with p53 expression nor with various clinical and histopathological parameters. Serous ovarian cancers showed significantly decreased staining intensity of KAI when compared to other histological types (P = 0.007). Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that patients with strong or moderate expression of KAI1 had a significantly longer overall (P = 0.0013) and disease-free survival (P = 0.0048) when compared to those with low or absent expression. Conclusion. KAI1 downregulation is an independent prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer, indicating dismal prognosis. Our study did not reveal a correlation between p53 status and KAI1 expression, suggesting that p53-independent mechanisms might be involved in the downregulation of KAI1.