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. 2017 Jan 25;10(1):7.
doi: 10.1186/s13048-016-0300-5.

Expression of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis-related hormone receptors in low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSC)

Zheng Feng  1 , Hao Wen  1 , Xingzhu Ju  1   2 , Rui Bi  2   3 , Xiaojun Chen  1   2 , Wentao Yang  2   3 , Xiaohua Wu  4   5
Affiliations

Expression of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis-related hormone receptors in low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSC)

Zheng Feng et al. J Ovarian Res. .

Abstract

Background: The aim of our study was to investigate the clinical features and expression levels of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis-related hormone receptors in low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSC).

Methods: We retrospectively investigated the clinical features of 26 consecutive patients with LGSC who underwent primary staging or debulking surgery between April 2005 and June 2013 in our center; concomitant primary high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) patients were randomly selected at a 2:1 ratio for comparison. Tissue microarrays were constructed from the LGSC and HGSC specimens, and the expression levels of six hormone receptors in the hypothalamic pituitary-gonadal axis were analyzed by immunohistochemistry.

Results: The median (range) age of patients with LGSC was 54 (27-77) years. According to the FIGO staging system, the cases were distributed as follows: stage I, 6 (23.1%); stage II, 0 (0%); stage III, 19 (73.1%); and stage IV, 1 (3.8%). The 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates for LGSC were 91.8% and 67.5%, respectively. The expression levels of the hormone receptors were as follows: ER, 80.8%; PR, 34.6%; AR, 53.8%; FSHR, 84.0%; LHR, 65.4%; and GnRHR, 100%. Hormone receptor-positive patients had a better prognosis compared with hormone receptor-negative patients, but the difference was not significant.

Conclusions: Our study presented a higher overall survival rate and distinctive hormone receptor expression levels of LGSC patients compared with the HGSC cohort. Patients with positive hormone receptor expression tended to have a better prognosis than the corresponding hormone receptor negative patients.

Keywords: Hormone receptor; Low-grade serous ovarian cancer; Prognosis.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The Kaplan-Meier curve of overall survival for patients with ovarian LGSC and HGSC (P = 0.06)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Representative positive staining for ER (a), PR (b), AR (c), FSHR (d), LHR (e) and GnRHR (f) at 400 × magnification (LGSC)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Kaplan-Meier curves of overall survival in LGSC patients stratified by hormone receptor expression (a ER, b PR, c AR, d FHSR, e LHR, g GnRHR)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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