Comparison of autotaxin expression level and ultrasonic characteristics in patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma and ovarian epithelial benign tumor

The purpose of this study was to compare autotaxin expression level and ultrasonic characteristics in patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma and ovarian epithelial benign tumor. Twenty-six cases of ovarian epithelial benign tumor, 38 cases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma, and 18 cases of normal ovarian tissues were examined. The expression of ATX mRNA and protein were analyzed by western blot and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that ATX protein and mRNA expression was detected in three types of tissues. ATX mRNA expression was higher in ovarian epithelial carcinoma than that in normal ovarian tissues and ovarian epithelial benign tumor (P<0.05). Western blot showed clear ladders of ATX protein at around 55 kDa in ovrian carcinoma tissues. Immunohistochemistry results also demonstrated that ATX protein expression in ovarian epithelial carcinoma was higher than that in ovarian epithelial benign tumor. In ovarian epithelial benign tumor groups, majority appearance of tumor location showed middle to low (84.6%), uniformity (80.8%) and sharpness of boundary of enhanced lesions (88.5%), while minority of tumor showed middle to low (18.4%), uniformity (23.7%) and sharpness of boundary of enhanced lesions in ovarian epithelial carcinoma groups. In conclusion, the differences in expression of ATX and ultrasonic characteristics in ovarian epithelial carcinoma and ovarian epithelial benign tumor can be used to estimate early diagnosis, therapeutic regimen and prognosis in ovarian neoplasm.