Differential Gene Expression in Ovarian Tumors Reveals Dusp 4 and Serpina 5 As Key Regulators for Benign Behavior of Serous Borderline Tumors

Purpose Ovarian serous borderline tumors (SBT) are characterized by arborizing papillae lined by stratified epithelial cells, varying atypia, and absence of stromal invasion. Originally, these tumors have been classified as borderline because they behaved in a remarkably indolent manner, even with widespread tumor deposits called implants and the presence of lymph node involvement. The molecular biology of these lesions has just begun to be explored. High prevalence of B-RAF/K-RAS mutations in SBTs in contrast to serous carcinomas (SCAs) indicates that the mitogenicRAS-RAF-MEK-ERK-MAP kinase pathway is crucial for the pathogenesisof SBTs. The purpose of this study was to further unravel the genetic pathways through which SBTs develop, with a special focus on explaining the generally benign SBT behavior.