Overexpression of TRPM7 is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Human Ovarian Carcinoma

Background: The melastatin-related transient receptor potential 7 channel (TRPM7) is a nonselectivecation channel that has been shown to promote tumor metastasis and progression. In this study, we determinedthe expression of TRPM7 in ovarian carcinomas and investigated its possible prognostic value. Materials and
Methods: Samples were collected from 138 patients with ovarian cancer. Expression of TRPM7 was assessed byreal-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, expressed with reference to an established scoring system and relatedto clinical pathological factors. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was applied to estimate disease-free survival(DFS) and overall survival (OS). Univariate and multivariate cox regression analyses were performed to correlateTRPM7 expression levels with DFS and OS.
Results: TRPM7 was highly expressed in ovarian carcinoma andsignificantly associated with decreased disease-free survival (DFS: median 20 months vs. 42 months, P=0.0002)and overall survival (OS: median 27 months vs. 46 months, P<0.001).
Conclusion: Overexpression of TRPM7expression is significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer.