Korean J Pathol.  2013 Oct;47(5):418-425.

MAD2 Expression in Ovarian Carcinoma: Different Expression Patterns and Levels among Various Types of Ovarian Carcinoma and Its Prognostic Significance in High-Grade Serous Carcinoma

• Park PE
• Jeong JY
• Kim SZ
• Park JY

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Mitotic arrest deficiency protein 2 (MAD2) is a key component of spindle assembly checkpoint function, which mediates cell apoptosis through microtubule kinetics. Aberrant expression of MAD2 is believed to be associated with the development of chromosome instability. MAD2 also has a signihicant role in cellular drug resistance to taxane chemotherapeutic agents.
METHODS
Expression of MAD2 and p53 was investigated using immunohistochemistry in 85 cases of ovarian carcinomas. Clinicopathological data including progression-free survival were analyzed.
RESULTS
A significant (p=.035) association was observed between the grade of serous carcinoma and the expression level of MAD2. While low-grade serous carcinoma showed a low-level expression of MAD2, high-grade serous carcinoma showed a high-level expression of MAD2. We also determined that low-level expression of MAD2 was associated with reduced progression-free survival (PFS) (p=.016) in high-grade serous carcinoma.
CONCLUSIONS
MAD2 expression in ovarian carcinoma is related to the grade of serous carcinoma and PFS of high-grade serous carcinoma. Expression level of MAD2 detected by immunohistochemistry may serve as an indicator in predicting the response of microtubule-interfering chemotherapeutic agents.

Keyword

MAD2L1 protein, human; Ovarian neoplasms; Cell cycle checkpoints; Taxane

MeSH Terms

Apoptosis
Bridged Compounds
Calcium-Binding Proteins
Cell Cycle Checkpoints
Cell Cycle Proteins
Chromosomal Instability
Disease-Free Survival
Drug Resistance
Immunohistochemistry
Kinetics
M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints
Microtubules
Ovarian Neoplasms
Repressor Proteins
Taxoids
Bridged Compounds
Calcium-Binding Proteins
Cell Cycle Proteins
Repressor Proteins
Taxoids