This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Horak, P. Articles by Krainer, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Horak, P. Articles by Krainer, M.

Perturbation of the Tumor Necrosis Factor–Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand Cascade in Ovarian Cancer: Overexpression of FLIP_L and Deregulation of the Functional Receptors DR4 and DR5

Authors' Affiliations: ¹ Clinical Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I; ² Core Unit for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Section of Clinical Biometrics; and Departments of ³ Gynecology and Obstetrics and ⁴ Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Requests for reprints: Michael Krainer, Clinical Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. Phone: 43-1-40400-4449; Fax: 43-1-40400-4451; E-mail: michael.krainer{at}meduniwien.ac.at.

Purpose: Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most common cause of mortality from gynecologic malignancies. Due to advanced stage at diagnosis, most patients need systemic treatment in addition to surgery. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the TNF family with a promising toxicity profile and synergistic activity with chemotherapeutic agents.

Experimental Design: We used an arrayed panel of epithelial ovarian cancer tissue to assess the protein expression of TRAIL and the clinically most relevant members of its pathway death receptors 4 and 5 (DR4 and DR5) and the long form of FLICE inhibitory protein (FLIP_L).

Results: We could show that a majority (66.2%) of the tumor tissues displayed either reduced DR4/DR5 expression (20.6%), increased FLIP_L expression (39.7%), or both (5.9%) as determined by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, higher TRAIL expression in the surrounding connective tissue but not in the tumor cells is significantly (P < 0.05) linked with favorable overall survival in advanced-stage patients.

Conclusions: Mechanisms to escape the immune surveillance mediated by TRAIL are developed by ovarian cancer cells in a high percentage. TRAIL expression in the ovarian cancer microenvironment has an effect on overall survival. These findings enhance our understanding of ovarian cancer pathology and might be helpful in guiding TRAIL-based therapy in future.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. J. Ullenhag, A. Mukherjee, N. F.S. Watson, A. H. Al-Attar, J. H. Scholefield, and L. G. Durrant Overexpression of FLIPL Is an Independent Marker of Poor Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer Patients Clin. Cancer Res., September 1, 2007; 13(17): 5070 - 5075. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]