Objective: To analyze the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), miR-205, Ezrinand Lamin A/C in ovarian cancer tissues.
Methods: The expression of VEGF in the serum of epithelial ovarian cancer and that of healthy volunteers were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR-1), VEGFR-2, Ezrin and Lamin A/C were detected by immunohistochemistry and the micro-vessel density (MVD) of CD31 was detected by immunohistochemistry in epithelial ovarian cancer, benign ovarian and normal ovarian specimens; and the expression of miR-205, Ezrin and Lamin A/C were detected by real-time PCR in epithelial ovarian cancer, benign ovarian and normal ovarian specimens.
Results: The expression of VEGF in the serum of epithelial ovarian cancer patients (116.10± 11.94) was significantly higher than that of healthy volunteers (40.04±4.97, P<0.05). The positive expression rates of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 in the epithelial ovarian cancer specimens were 75.9% and 91.4% respectively, which were significantly higher than that in the benign ovarian and the normal ovarian specimens (P<0.05). No differences were observed in the positive expression rates of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 between the benign ovarian and the normal ovarian specimens (P>0.05). The average length of MVD in the epithelial ovarian cancer specimens (7.56±0.51), was significantly higher than that in the normal ovarian specimens (1.22±0.56, P<0.05) and in the benign ovarian specimens (0.7±0.39, P<0.05). No differences were observed in the average length of MVD between the benign ovarian and the normal ovarian specimens (P>0.05). The relative expression level of miR-205 was 0.106±0.035 in the epithelial ovarian cancer specimens, which was significantly higher than that in the normal ovarian specimens (0.0007±0.0005, P<0.05); the relative expression level of miR-205 in the benign ovarian specimens was (0.0002±0.0002), higher than that in the normal ovarian specimens, but with no significance (P>0.05). The positive expression rates of Ezrin and Lamin A/C in the epithelial ovarian cancer specimens were 51.7% and 60.3%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the benign ovarian and the normal ovarian specimens (P<0.05). No differences were observed in the positive expression rates of Ezrin and Lamin A/C between the benign ovarian and the normal ovarian specimens (P>0.05). The relative expression levels of Ezrin and Lamin A/C mRNA in the epithelial ovarian cancer specimens were (0.026±0.003) and (0.060±0.007), respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the normal ovarian specimens (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance between the relative expression level of Ezrin and Lamin A/C mRNA in the epithelial ovarian cancer specimens and that in the benign ovarian specimens (0.029± 0.011, 0.089 ± 0.019; P>0.05) .
Conclusion: VEGF is significantly expressed in the serum of epithelial ovarian cancer patients; and miR-205 is up-regulated in the epithelial ovarian cancer specimens. Ezrin and Lamin A/C are down-regulated in the epithelial ovarian cancer samples. VEGF, miR-205 and target protein may be associated with the invasion and metastasis of epithelial ovarian cancer.