The immunohistochemical expression of CD24 and CD171 adhesion molecules in borderline ovarian tumors

CD24andCD171arecelladhesionproteins,whichhavebeenshowntobeoverex pressedinseveralcarcinomasandtobeassociatedwitha poorclinicaloutcome.Our aimwastodeterminetheexpressionofthesetwoadhesionmoleculesinovarianbor derlineneoplasms.Weinvestigated50ovarianborderlinetumors(serous,mucinous andendometrioid)aswellas29benigncystadenomasand25carcinomas,whichwere usedascontrols.ParaffinsectionswerestainedimmunohistochemicallyforCD24and CD171,andtheirexpressionwasrecordedina semi-quantitativemanner. InnormalepitheliumandbenignovariancystadenomasboththeCD24andCD171 expressionwasnegativetolow,whiletheirexpressionwassignificantlyincreasedin borderlineandmalignantovariantumors.High-gradecarcinomas,andcarcinomas withmetastasestotheomentumpresentedconsiderablyhigherCD24expressionthan low-gradecarcinomas,andcarcinomaswithoutmetastases.Inaddition,a fewbor derlineandmanymalignanttumorspresentedcytoplasmicCD24immunoreactiv ity,whereasallbenignandmostborderlinetumorsshowedapicallocalizationofthis molecule.Inconclusion,borderlinetumorsandcarcinomasoftheovarypresentin creasedexpressionofCD24andCD171inrelationtotheirbenigncounterparts,as isthecaseinmalignanttumorsofotherorgans.ChangeofstainingpatternofCD24 (apicaltocytoplasmic)apparentlyrelatestoa moreaggressivephenotype.