The Expression of HSD17B12 Is Associated with COX-2 Expression and Is Increased in High-Grade Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to characterize the expression of hydroxysteroid (17β) dehydrogenase type 12 (HSD17B12), an enzyme involved in the synthesis of arachidonic acid (AA), in ovarian cancer, and to study its coexpression with its upstream and downstream enzymes in the AA pathway, namely elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 5 (ELOVL5) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), respectively.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Samples from benign and malignant ovarian neoplastic lesions were immunohistochemically stained with HSD17B12, ELOVL5, and COX-2. The staining intensities were quantified with the QuantCenter program, and the results were confirmed with visual inspection. Statistical significances were calculated with the Student t test, the Mann-Whitney test, linear regression, or ANOVA.

RESULTS

The expression of the HSD17B12, ELOVL5, and COX-2 enzymes increased according to the grade of the endometrioid ovarian adenocarcinomas. In contrast, in serous adenocarcinomas, staining with ELOVL5 was constantly weak, whereas the expression of HSD17B12 and COX-2 increased with the grade or FIGO stage of the cancer, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of HSD17B12 increased along with the severity of ovarian cancer, and the expression mimicked COX-2 expression and intensity. This further suggests the involvement of HSD17B12 in AA production, and its coexpression with COX-2 indicates a role for the enzyme in the increased prostaglandin production during ovarian cancer progression.