High expression of Lewis y antigen and CD44 is correlated with resistance to chemotherapy in epithelial ovarian cancers

PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e57250. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057250. Epub 2013 Feb 28.

Abstract

Objectives: To measure Lewis y antigen and CD44 antigen expression in epithelial ovarian carcinoma and to correlate the levels of these antigens with clinical response to chemotherapy.

Methods: The study cases included 34 cases of ovarian carcinoma with resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, 6 partially drug-sensitive cases, and 52 drug-sensitive cases (92 total).

Results: The rates of expression of Lewis y antigen and CD44 antigen were significantly greater in the drug-resistant group than that in the partially-sensitive or sensitive groups. Surgical stage, residual tumor size and expression of CD44 and Lewis y antigen in ovarian carcinoma tissues were independent risk factors for chemotherapeutic drug resistance.

Conclusions: Over-expression of Lewis y and CD44 antigen are strong risk factors for chemotherapeutic drug resistance in ovarian carcinoma patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / immunology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hyaluronan Receptors / immunology*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lewis Blood Group Antigens / immunology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / immunology
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / immunology

Substances

  • Hyaluronan Receptors
  • Lewis Blood Group Antigens
  • Lewis Y antigen

Grants and funding

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30872757, 81072118, 81172491, 81101527); Ph.D. Programs Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (No. 20112104110016, 20112104120019); Science Committee Foundation of Shenyang City, China (No. F10-14-9-9-52); Shengjing Free Researcher Project (No. 200807). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.