Clinical significance of SLP-2 in epithelial ovarian cancer and its regulatory effect on the Notch signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of Stomatin-like protein 2 (SLP-2) and its clinical significance in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Quantitative real- time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the differential expression of SLP-2 in EOC tissues and cell lines. The relationship between SLP-2 expression and clinical pathological data of EOC patients was analyzed. RESULTS: QRT-PCR results suggested that the SLP-2 was up-regulated in both EOC tissues and EOC cells by comparing with normal control. SLP-2 expression was a correlation with tumor pathological grade, distant metastasis, and TNM stage in EOC patients. Down-regulation of SLP-2 could significantly inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis of EOC cells by activating the Notch signaling pathway. Knockdown of SLP-2 markedly downregulated Notch1 and Hes1. CONCLUSIONS: SLP-2 was a novel factor involved in EOC progression, and could be utilized as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for the EOC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]