Expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ and cyclo-oxygenase 2 in primary and recurrent ovarian carcinoma
- Sylvia Stadlmann1,
- Uwe Gueth2,
- Edward Wight2,*,
- Leoni A Kunz-Schughart3,
- Arndt Hartmann3,
- Gad Singer1,*
- 1Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- 2Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- 3Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Correspondence to: PD Dr G Singer Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 40, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland; gsinger{at}uhbs.ch
- Accepted 23 February 2006
- Published Online First 12 May 2006
Abstract
Aim: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) has emerged as a potential therapeutic target in several types of cancer. In ovarian carcinomas, limited and conflicting data on PPARγ protein expression have been reported.
Methods: The immunoexpression of PPARγ and its putative target cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX2) was investigated in tumour tissues from 80 patients with primary and corresponding recurrent ovarian serous carcinomas after conventional platinum-based chemotherapy.
Results: PPARγ expression was observed in 29% of primary and recurrent carcinomas. In the recurrent tumours, PPARγ expression inversely correlated with COX2 overexpression in both chemosensitive (p = 0.02) and chemoresistant (p = 0.04) carcinomas.
Conclusions: The data indicate that PPARγ may represent a potential target for second-line treatment in ovarian cancers.
- COX2, cyclo-oxygenase 2
- IHC, immunohistochemistry
- PPARγ, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ
- TMA, tissue microarray
Footnotes
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Published Online First 12 May 2006
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↵* These authors have contributed equally to the work.
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Funding: This study was supported by the Swiss Cancer League (Oncosuisse), grant number OCS 01506-02-2004.
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Competing interests: None declared.
