This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplementary Data Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zorn, K. K. Articles by Birrer, M. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zorn, K. K. Articles by Birrer, M. J.

Gene Expression Profiles of Serous, Endometrioid, and Clear Cell Subtypes of Ovarian and Endometrial Cancer

Authors' Affiliations: ¹ National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; ² National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland and ³ Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York

Requests for reprints: Michael J. Birrer, Cell and Cancer Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 37/Room 1130, Bethesda, MD, 20892. Phone: 301-402-9586; Fax: 301-480-4756; E-mail: birrerm{at}bprb.nci.nih.gov.

Purpose: The presence of similar histologic subtypes of epithelial ovarian and endometrial cancers has long been noted, although the relevance of this finding to pathogenesis and clinical management is unclear. Despite similar clinical characteristics, histologic subtypes of cancers of the ovary and endometrium are treated according to organ of origin. This study compares the gene expression profiles of analogous histologic subtypes of cancers of the ovary and endometrium using the same genomic platform to determine the similarities and differences between these tumors.

Experimental Design: Gene expression profiles of 75 cancers (endometrioid, serous, and clear cell) of the ovary and endometrium, five renal clear cell cancers, and seven normal epithelial brushings were determined using a 11,000-element cDNA array. All images were analyzed using BRB ArrayTools. Validation was done using real-time PCR on select genes and immunohistochemical staining.

Results: Comparison across endometrial and ovarian cancers and serous and endometrioid tumors showed expression patterns reflecting their organ of origin. Clear cell tumors, however, showed remarkably similar expression patterns regardless of their origin, even when compared with renal clear cell samples. A set of 43 genes was common to comparisons of each of the three histologic subtypes of ovarian cancer with normal ovarian surface epithelium.

Conclusions: The comparison of the gene expression profiles of endometrioid and serous subtypes of ovarian and endometrial cancer are largely unique to the combination of a particular subtype in a specific organ. In contrast, clear cell cancers show a remarkable similarity in gene expression profiles across organs (including kidney) and could not be statistically distinguished.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Bonome, D. A. Levine, J. Shih, M. Randonovich, C. A. Pise-Masison, F. Bogomolniy, L. Ozbun, J. Brady, J. C. Barrett, J. Boyd, et al. A Gene Signature Predicting for Survival in Suboptimally Debulked Patients with Ovarian Cancer Cancer Res., July 1, 2008; 68(13): 5478 - 5486. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. V. DeSouza, J. Grigull, S. Ghanny, V. Dube, A. D. Romaschin, T. J. Colgan, and K. W. M. Siu Endometrial Carcinoma Biomarker Discovery and Verification Using Differentially Tagged Clinical Samples with Multidimensional Liquid Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry Mol. Cell. Proteomics, July 1, 2007; 6(7): 1170 - 1182. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. S P Tan and S. Kaye Ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma: a continuing enigma J. Clin. Pathol., April 1, 2007; 60(4): 355 - 360. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Hecht and G. L. Mutter Molecular and Pathologic Aspects of Endometrial Carcinogenesis J. Clin. Oncol., October 10, 2006; 24(29): 4783 - 4791. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Bonome, J.-Y. Lee, D.-C. Park, M. Radonovich, C. Pise-Masison, J. Brady, G. J. Gardner, K. Hao, W. H. Wong, J. C. Barrett, et al. Expression Profiling of Serous Low Malignant Potential, Low-Grade, and High-Grade Tumors of the Ovary Cancer Res., November 15, 2005; 65(22): 10602 - 10612. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]