[YB-1 protein expression in ovarian cancer].

Objectives: Unfavourable prognosis of ovarian cancer is due to prompt progression, advanced stage at time of diagnosis and chemoresistance. No protein tissue prognosticators of ovarian cancer are in clinical use yet. YB-1 belongs to a family of "cold shock proteins" and participates at gene expression control at several levels. High expression of YB-1 in tumour tissue correlates with unfavourable prognosis and chemoresistance in some malignant neoplasms.
The Aim: of this study was to determine the expression of YB-1 in benign and malignant ovarian neoplasms and to correlate the expression of YB-1 with clinical indicators of cancer progression.
Methods: Specimens of 11 benign ovarian cysts and 14 cystadenocarcinomas of the ovary were obtained.YB-1 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. Staging of ovarian cancer was performed according to FIGO.
Results: Mean YB-1 expression levels in benign and malignant tumours were 5.36 +/- 4.1 and 2.86 +/- 4.18 points respectively and were not significantly different (p=0.18). No correlation between FIGO stage and expression of YB-1 was found in the group of ovarian cancers, either (p=0.32).
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that YB-1 is expressed both in benign and malignant ovarian tumors. Although there we didn't found any correlation between YB-1 expression and FIGO stage, YB-1 could be useful in the prognosis recurrence after chemotherapy.