EXPRESSION OF p53 AND Bcl-2 PROTEINS IN EPITHELIAL OVARIAN CARCINOMA WITH DIFFERENT GRADE OF DIFFERENTIATION

Lukyanova N.Yu.¹, Kulik G.I.², Yurchenko O.V.¹, Shatrova K.M.², Vorobyova L.I.³, Svintitsky V.S.³, Evtushenko G.V.², Chekhun V.F.¹

• ¹R.E. Kavetsky Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology, NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv 03022, Ukraine
• ²Ukrainian Research Institute of Oncology and Radiology, Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Kyiv 03022, Ukraine
• ³National Cancer Institute, Kyiv, 03022, Ukraine

Summary. Expression of p53 and Bcl-2 as well as nuclear antigen of proliferating cells (NAPC) detected with the IPO-38 MoAb was studied in serous epithelial ovarian tumors of different grade of differentiation (32 patients in total). Overexpression of the mutant p53 and NAPC was shown to be typical of poorly differentiated malignant ovarian tumors with high aggressiveness and vast dissemination (FIGO stage IIIc and IV). Well-differentiated tumors, according to our data, were characterized by the absence of the mutant p53 expression, the low proliferation index and the high Bcl-2 levels. These data suggest that the detection of p53 and Bcl-2 expression as well as expression of the NAPC in ovarian tumors could be useful for prognosis and therapy correction.