Functional Role and Prognostic Significance of CD157 in Ovarian Carcinoma -- Ortolan et al., 10.1093/jnci/djq256 -- JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Journal of the National Cancer Institute Advance Access published online on July 16, 2010
JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, doi:10.1093/jnci/djq256


© The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press.

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ARTICLE


Functional Role and Prognostic Significance of CD157 in Ovarian Carcinoma
Erika Ortolan, Riccardo Arisio, Simona Morone, Paola Bovino, Nicola Lo-Buono, Giulia Nacci, Rossella Parrotta, Dionyssios Katsaros, Ida Rapa, Giuseppe Migliaretti, Enza Ferrero, Marco Volante, Ada Funaro

Affiliations of authors: Department of Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry (EO, SM, PB, NL-B, GN, RP, EF, AF) and Research Center on Experimental Medicine (CeRMS) (EO, EF, AF), University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy; Department of Pathology, Sant’Anna Hospital, Turin, Italy (RA); Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology and Breast Cancer Unit (DK), Department of Public Health and Microbiology (GM), and Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, San Luigi Hospital (IR, MV), University of Turin, Turin, Italy

Correspondence to: Ada Funaro, PhD, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry, University of Turin Medical School, Via Santena 19, 10126 Turin, Italy (e-mail: ada.funaro@unito.it).

Background: CD157, an ADP-ribosyl cyclase–related cell surface molecule, regulates leukocyte diapedesis during inflammation. Because CD157 is expressed in mesothelial cells and diapedesis resembles tumor cell migration, we investigated the role of CD157 in ovarian carcinoma.

Methods: We assayed surgically obtained ovarian cancer and mesothelial cells and both native and engineered ovarian cancer cell lines for CD157 expression using flow cytometry and reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and for adhesion to extracellular matrices, migration, and invasion using cell-based assays. We investigated invasion of human peritoneal mesothelial cells by serous ovarian cancer cells with a three-dimensional coculture model. Experiments were performed with or without CD157-blocking antibodies. CD157 expression in tissue sections from ovarian cancer patients (n = 88) was examined by immunohistochemistry, quantified by histological score (H score), and categorized as at or above or below the median value of 60, and compared with clinical parameters. Statistical tests were two-sided.

Results: CD157 was expressed by ovarian cancer cells and mesothelium, and it potentiated the adhesion, migration, and invasion of serous ovarian cancer cells through different extracellular matrices. CD157-transfected ovarian cancer cells migrated twice as much as CD157-negative control cells (P = .001). Blockage of CD157 inhibited mesothelial invasion by serous ovarian cancer cells in a three-dimensional model. CD157 was expressed in 82 (93%) of the 88 epithelial ovarian cancer tissue specimens. In serous ovarian cancer, patients with CD157 H scores of 60 or greater had statistically significantly shorter disease-free survival and overall survival than patients with lower CD157 H scores (CD157 H score 60 vs <60: median disease-free survival = 18 months, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.92 to 30.07 vs unreached, P = .005; CD157 H score 60 vs <60: median overall survival = 45 months, 95% CI = 21.21 to 68.79 vs unreached, P = .024). Multivariable Cox regression showed that CD157 is an independent prognostic factor for recurrence (hazard ratio of disease recurrence = 3.01, 95% CI = 1.35 to 6.70, P = .007) and survival (hazard ratio of survival = 3.44, 95% CI = 1.27 to 9.31, P = .015).

Conclusions: CD157 plays a pivotal role in the control of ovarian cancer cell migration and peritoneal invasion, and it may be clinically useful as a prognostic tool and therapeutic target.

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Functional Role and Prognostic Significance of CD157 in Ovarian Carcinoma -- Ortolan et al., 10.1093/jnci/djq256 -- JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute