Diagnostic roles of PAX8 immunohistochemistry in ovarian tumors

Jooyoung Kim; Nae Yu Kim; Jung-Soo Pyo; Kyeung-Whan Min; Dong-Wook Kang

doi:10.1016/j.prp.2023.154822

Diagnostic roles of PAX8 immunohistochemistry in ovarian tumors

Pathol Res Pract. 2023 Oct:250:154822. doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154822. Epub 2023 Sep 15.

Authors

Jooyoung Kim¹, Nae Yu Kim², Jung-Soo Pyo³, Kyeung-Whan Min³, Dong-Wook Kang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Pathology, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Pathology, Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital, Sejong, Republic of Korea; Department of Pathology, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: astro966@gmail.com.

PMID: 37742476
DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154822

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the diagnostic roles of PAX8 immunohistochemistry in various ovarian tumors.

Methods: We searched through the PubMed database and selected the eligible studies to perform the meta-analysis. The PAX8 immunohistochemical expression rates of various ovarian tumors, including primary and metastatic carcinomas, were analyzed. In addition, the subgroup analysis based on tumor behaviors was performed.

Results: The PAX8 expression rates were 0.056 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.008-0.307), 0.400 (95% CI 0.228-0.600), 0.741 (95% CI 0.578-0.857), and 0.738 (95% CI 0.666-0.799) in normal ovary and benign, borderline, and malignant ovarian tumors, respectively. The PAX8 expression rates of serous and transitional cell carcinomas were 0.937 (95% CI 0.882-0.967) and 0.918 (95% CI 0.841-0.959). In addition, the PAX8 expression rate of mucinous carcinomas was 0.393 (95% CI 0.285-0.512). However, metastatic carcinomas showed a significantly lower PAX8 expression rate than primary ovarian cancers (P < 0.001 in the meta-regression test). In cytologic specimens, PAX8 expression rates of serous and endometrioid carcinomas were 0.905 (95% CI 0.832-0.948) and 0.714 (95% CI 0.327-0.928), respectively.

Conclusion: PAX8 expression rate was significantly higher in serous ovarian tumors than in mucinous ovarian tumors. In addition, PAX8 expression rates were significantly higher in primary ovarian cancers than in metastatic carcinomas.

Keywords: Immunohistochemistry; Meta-analysis; Metastatic; Ovary; PAX8; Primary.