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Olfactomedin 4 Is a Marker for Progression of Cervical Neoplasia
  1. Li Yu, MD*,
  2. Mian He, MD,
  3. Zheng Yang, MD, PhD*,
  4. Guidong Chen, MD*,
  5. Mengzhen Li, PhD,
  6. Liantang Wang, MD, PhD* and
  7. Shangwu Chen, MD, PhD
  1. * Departments of Pathology,
  2. Gynecology and Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, and
  3. State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
  1. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Shangwu Chen, MD, PhD, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China. E-mail: lsschshw{at}mail.sysu.edu.cn; Li Yu, MD, Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic China. E-mail: liyuuk{at}yahoo.co.uk.

Abstract

Introduction: Olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) is expressed in gastrointestinal cancers and related to progression and differentiation of these malignancies. However, whether OLFM4 contributes to tumorigenesis of other tissues has not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of the study was to investigate OLFM4 expression in cervical epithelium and its association with progression of cervical neoplasia and differentiation of cervical carcinomas.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate the expression and distribution of OLFM4 in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive squamous cell carcinomas (ISCCs).

Results: The overall positive OLFM4 staining levels in normal cervical epithelia, CIN I, CIN II, CIN III, and ISCCs are 22.0%, 94.2%, 93.7%, 94.6%, and 96.7%, respectively. The intensity of OLFM4 staining was enhanced according to increased pathologic grade of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion. The immunoreactivity to OLFM4 was stronger in well-differentiated ISCCs than in poorly differentiated ISCCs.

Conclusions: Olfactomedin 4 expression has been associated with progression of CIN and differentiation of cervical cancer. The results provide new evidence that OLFM4 plays an important role in tumorigenesis in the female reproductive tract.

  • Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)
  • Cervical cancer
  • Olfactomedin 4
  • Immunohistochemistry

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Footnotes

  • The authors confirm that there are no conflicts of interest.