Apoptotic Index in Ovarian Carcinoma: Correlation with Clinicopathologic Factors and Prognosis. |
S G Son, H T Noh |
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Abstract |
OBJECTIVE To establish if any association exists between the apoptotic index and clinicopathologic factors and prognosis in ovarian carcinoma. METHOD: Archival samples from ovarian carcinomas [n=34], benign ovarian tumors [n=10], and normal ovarian tissue [n=10] were evaluated for apoptosis. Apoptotic cells were identified by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated fragmentation end labelling method in histologic sections. The apoptotic index [AI= sum of apoptotic bodies/ 1000 tumor cells] and total cell count [X 400 magnification] were then calculated. RESULT: A high apoptotic index[AI] [> or =16.6] significantly correlated with age of all ovarian carcinoma. [P=0.014] A high apoptotic index[AI] [> or =14.8] significantly correlated with high clinical stage [P=0.038], and high histologic grade [P=0.032] of serous ovarian carcinoma. No significant correlation was found between apoptotic index[AI] and clinical stage, histologic grade of other type ovarian carcinoma. Also no significant correlation was found between apoptotic index[AI] and other clinicopathological factors, such as serum CA 125 level, total cell count, and prognosis. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that counting apoptosis cannot be useful for predicting patient survival in ovarian carcinoma, and that AI is not an independent prognostic factor. |
Key Words:
Apoptosis, Ovarian carcinoma |
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