Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi, cilt.30, sa.3, ss.592-601, 2023 (Hakemli Dergi)
Objective Particularly interesting cys-his rich protein (PINCH/ LIMS-1), a protein implicated in cell adhesion, is assumed to oversee the development and invasion of cancer cells in tumors and tumor-associated stroma. This study aimed to assess PINCH-1 expression in serous borderline tumor (SBT) and serous carcinoma (SC) in the tumor and peritumoral stroma and scrutinize any associations between its expression and various clinical and pathological parameters. Material and Method In this study, the expression of the PINCH-1 antibody was analyzed in 21 cases of SBT and 89 cases of SC using the indirect immunoperoxidase technique with streptavidin/HRP-biotin. The staining pattern of PINCH-1 in the tumor and peritumoral stroma was evaluated using a semiquantitative scoring method. The staining procedure used in the study allowed for the accurate identification of PINCH-1 expression, and the data obtained through the semiquantitative scoring method provided a reliable of assessing the degree and intensity of PINCH-1 staining. Thus, the correlation between PINCH-1 expression and various pathologic factors such as patient age, tumor size, FIGO stage, intra-abdominal washing cytology, capsule invasion, tumor location in the ovary, tumor grade, and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) levels at the time of diagnosis was examined. Results The study found that PINCH-1 was more prevalent in cases of SC than in SBT cases. The tumors in SC cases had stronger staining than those in SBT cases (p<0.001). The study also found a positive correlation between the diffusiveness and intensity of PINCH-1 staining in the tissue surrounding the tumor and whether the tumor was located on one or both sides of the ovaries (p = 0.038 for diffusiveness, p = 0.024 for intensity). However, there was a negative correlation between PINCH-1 staining and tumor size (p=0.019 for diffusiveness, p=0.007 for intensity). Furthermore, the intensity of PINCH-1 tumor staining exhibited statistical significance in Figo stage and tumor grades as these increased (p = 0.032 and p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion The results of this study indicate that SCs exhibit a higher level of PINCH-1 staining intensity than SBTs. Furthermore, an increase in the FIGO stage and tumor grade is associated with increased intensity of PINCH-1 staining in the tumor tissue. Additionally, the diffusiveness and intensity of PINCH-1 staining in the peritumoral stroma is more remarkable in cases of bilateral tumors but is inversely correlated with tumor size. The observed association between PINCH-1 expression and important clinicopathologic factors suggests that this molecule may be involved in developing serous ovarian cancer. Overall, these findings may contribute to a better understanding of the role of PINCH-1 in ovarian tumorigenesis and may have implications for developing novel therapeutic strategies targeting this pathway.