Abstract

Background: The prognosis and response of treatment of high grade serous ovarian carcinoma can be predicted by using numbers of biological markers.

Aim: The present study aimed of investigating the clinicopathological significance and prognostic value of MRE11, RAD50, ER and PR expressions in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma. The association between doublestrand breaks repair genes (MRE11-RAD50 complex) and steroid hormones receptor (ER and PR) was also studied.

Methods: An immunohistochemical study was performed on 108 high grade serous ovarian carcinoma cases. The expressions of MRE11, RAD50, ER and PR were evaluated and correlated to patients' clinicopathological data.

Results: The results showed that high MRE11, RAD50, ER and PR protein expressions were seen in 51.9%, 70.4%, 66.7% and 31.5%, of high grade serous ovarian carcinoma cases, respectively. MRE11 and RAD50 overexpression was significantly related to high-stage (p=0.012 and p=0.024, respectively), lymph node metastasis (p=0.002 and p=0.008, respectively), negative estrogen expression (p<0.001 for both) and negative progesterone expression (p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). MRE11 and RAD50 overexpression was a poor prognostic factor for OS compared with high ER/PR expression in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma patients.

Conclusion: High immunohistochemical expression of MRE11 and RAD50 in high grade serous ovarian carcinomas is related to poor prognosis.

Keywords: Ovarian cancer, MRE11, RAD50, ER, PR