Abstract

BACKGROUND
p27kip1 is a member of the Cip/Kip family of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors and is a potential tumor suppressor gene. Decreased expression of p27kip1 is associated with high histologic grade and poor prognosis in a variety of human tumors.
METHODS
Sixty-six cases of serous epithelial ovarian tumors were investigated by immunohistochemical staining for p27kip1, cyclin D1, and Ki-67. Clinicopathologic parameters (WHO classification, histologic grade and FIGO stage) were compared with the incidence of p27kip1, cyclin D1 and Ki-67 protein expression in ovarian serous tumors.
RESULTS
Reduced expression of p27kip1 was found more freguently in serous cystadenocarcinoma than in serous cystadenoma and borderline malignancy (p<0.05). The decreased expression of p27kip1 was correlated with a high histologic grade and an advanced FIGO stage. Overexpression of cyclin D1 is associated with borderline malignancy and grade I serous cystadenocarcinoma. An inverse relationship was observed between the p27kip1 protein and the Ki-67 labeling index within serous cystadenocarcinoma, but it was not significant.
CONCLUSIONS
Reduced expression of p27kip1 protein plays an important role in the biologically aggressive behavior of serous epithelial ovarian tumors and might represent a useful prognostic marker for predicting the recurrence in primary ovarian tumors.

• Keywords: p27;Cyclin D1;Ovarian neoplasms;Epithelial