This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) 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 Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Duncan, T. J. Articles by Durrant, L. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Duncan, T. J. Articles by Durrant, L. G.

Loss of IFN Receptor Is an Independent Prognostic Factor in Ovarian Cancer

Authors' Affiliations: ¹ Academic and Clinical Department of Oncology, University of Nottingham; ² Division of Histopathology and ³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; and ⁴ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Derby City General Hospital, Derby, United Kingdom

Requests for reprints: Lindy G. Durrant, Institute of Infections and Immunity, University of Nottingham, Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust, Hucknall Road, Nottingham, NG5 1PB United Kingdom. Phone: 0115-82-31862; Fax: 0115-82-31849/0121-353-1482; E-mail: lindy.durrant{at}nottingham.ac.uk.

Purpose: There is evidence that IFN plays an important role in ovarian cancer development. IFN produces numerous antitumor effects and it may be evasion of these effects which allows tumor progression. We postulate that genetic instability in tumor cells may lead to modulation of expression of the IFN receptor, thus leading to altered tumor biology and patient prognosis. This hypothesis would support the theory of immunoediting in ovarian cancer.

Experimental Design: Using tissue microarray technology of 339 primary ovarian cancers, the expression of IFN receptor was assessed immunohistochemically. Coupled to a comprehensive database of clinicopathologic variables, its effect on these factors was studied.

Results: Tumors expressing high levels of IFN receptor had significantly improved survival (P = 0.017) compared with tumors expressing low levels of the receptor; this was also seen with complete receptor loss (P = 0.014). Factors shown to predict prognosis independently of each other were the following: age, International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians stage, and the absence of macroscopic disease after surgery. The level of IFN receptor expression and complete receptor loss were independently predictive of prognosis on multivariate analysis. There was no correlation between receptor status and any of the standard clinicopathologic variables.

Conclusions: Loss of IFN receptor independently predicts poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. Loss of receptor expression may be responsible for the limited success in the therapeutic use of IFN in ovarian cancer trials and highlights a subgroup of high expressing IFN receptor tumors which are more likely to be susceptible to such treatments.