Ulex europeus Agglutinin-I Binding as a Potential Prognostic Marker in Ovarian Cancer

Background: Ovarian cancer represents the malignant tumour of the female genital tract with the worst prognosis, mainly caused by early intraperitoneal spread. Cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions play a functionally important role in this spread and are both mediated by the cell membrane. Changes in the glycosylation of the cell membrane, as detected by lectin histochemistry, are sometimes associated with a poor prognosis. Patients and Methods: The expression of lectin binding of 164 ovarian cancer patients was analysed and the staining results were correlated with the clinical data of the patients. Results: The univariate and multivariate statistical analysis revealed an independent prognostic significance for Ulex europeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I) binding. Conclusion: These findings indicate that UEA-I binding can serve as a prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. Although it represents just 5% of malignancies in women, ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other malignancy of the female genital reproduction tract (1). Late detection and early intraperitoneal spread contribute primarily to the high death toll of this cancer.