The role of actin bundling protein fascin in the progression of ovarian neoplasms.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION

The aim of the study was to investigate the role of fascin in tumor progression and to investigate the role of fascin on endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis in ovarian neoplasms.

METHODS

In the study, 94 malign epithelial ovarian neoplasms, 13 borderline epithelial ovarian neoplasms, 25 serous and mucinous cystadenomas and four normal ovarian tissues were examined by means of immunohistochemistry, using monoclonal antihuman fascin antibody, clone IM20.

RESULTS

Total stromal fascin score in cases of borderline and malign epithelial ovarian tumors was significantly higher compared to normal ovaries and benign epithelial ovarian tumors (.000, p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of total epithelial fascin scores of samples between groups (.080, p > 0.05). Presence of vascular invasion (.000, p < 0.001), psammomatous calcifications (.001, p = 0.001), and lymphocytic infiltration (.000, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in malign neoplasms. There was no significant difference in terms of mean microvessel count and homogeneous or heterogeneous fascin expression of microvessels between the benign and malign groups (respectively p = .228 and p = .143).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that up-regulation of fascin in tumoral tissue may promote invasion of ovarian carcinoma by cell-matrix adhesion.