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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: Apoptosis or programmed cell death is a normally physiological cell suicide program that is highly conserved among all animals. We previously evaluated overexpression of c-IAP1(Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein) in ovarian carcinomas compared with normal ovaries. In this study, we demonstrate evidence for the involvement of c-IAP2 in ovarian carcinomas.
METHODS: Fresh 9 normal ovaries, 5 benign ovarian cysts and 13 ovarian carcinomas were obtained from routine gynecologic surgeries carried out for benign and malignant ovarian tumors. They were examined for the presence of c-IAP2 by RT-PCR(Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction), Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical stains.
RESULTS: Nine of 14 normal and benign ovarian tumors were negative and 11 of 13 ova rian carcinomas were positive for c-IAP2 by RT-PCR. Positive RT-PCR for c-IAP2 was seen in 11/13 of ovarian carcinomas, a significantly higher percentage than in normal and benign ovarian tumors(5/14). All of these tumors showed strong positive for c-IAP2 by western blot and immunohistochemical staining. Whereas negative RT-PCR for c-IAP2 was seen in 9/14 of normal and benign ovarian tumors, a significantly higher percentage than ovarian carcinomas(2/13). Of these 9 negative samples, 6 had positive Western blot and immunohistochemical stains. There was weak concordance of the result. But expression of c-IAP2 in normal ovarian tissue was localized exclusively in the corpus luteum. Therefore, c-IAP2 may play important role in determining the fate of the follicular destiny. There was no expression in normal ovarian stroma cells for c-IAP2.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that c-IAP2 is expressed in ovarian carcinomas and emerging role in cancer. The c-IAP2 expression has been investigated in the normal ovary, where apoptosis is thought to play an important role in ovulation.
Language: ko |