SKP2/P27Kip1 pathway is associated with Advanced Ovarian Cancer in Saudi Patients

Background: Ovarian cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy and constitutes the fifth leadingcause of female cancer death. Some biological parameters have prognostic roles in patients with advanced ovariancancer and their expression may contribute to tumor progression. The aim of this study was to investigate thepotential prognostic value of SKP2, genes P27Kip1, K-ras, c-Myc, COX2 and HER2 genes expression in ovariancancer. Materials and
Methods: This study was performed on two hundred formalin fixed paraffin embeddedovarian cancer and normal adjacent tissues (NAT). Gene expression levels were assessed using real time PCRand Western blotting.
Results: Elevated expression levels of SKP2, K-ras, c-Myc, HER2 and COX2 genes wereobserved in 61.5% (123/200), 92.5% (185/200), 74% (148/200), 96 % (192/200), 90% (180/200) and 78.5%(157/200) of cancer tissues, respectively. High expression of SKP2 and down-regulation of P27 was associated withadvanced stages of cancer.
Conclusions: The association between high expression of c-Myc and SKP2 with lowexpression of P27 suggested that the Skp2-P27 pathway may play an important role in ovarian carcinogenesis.Reduced expression of P27 is associated with advanced stage of cancer and can be used as a biological markerin clinical routine assessment and management of women with advanced ovarian cancer.