Overexpression of HE4 (human epididymis protein 4) enhances proliferation, invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer

Oncotarget. 2016 Jan 5;7(1):729-44. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.6327.

Abstract

Overexpression of Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) related with a role in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis while little is known about the molecular mechanism alteration by HE4 up regulation. Here we reported that overexpressed HE4 promoted ovarian cancer cells proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Furthermore, human whole genome gene expression profile microarrays revealed that 231 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were altered in response to HE4, in which MAPK signaling, ECM receptor, cell cycle, steroid biosynthesis pathways were involved. The findings suggested that overexpressed HE4 played an important role in ovarian cancer progression and metastasis and that HE4 has the potential to serve as a novel therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

Keywords: HE4; epithelial ovarian cancer; invasion; metastasis; proliferation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics*
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling / methods*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Gene Ontology
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Proteins / genetics*
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Transfection
  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • WAP Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2

Substances

  • Proteins
  • WAP Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2
  • WFDC2 protein, human