Abstract
Background
Ovarian cancer is a significant health concern, necessitating the identification of potential diagnostic markers and novel therapeutic targets. This study presents, to the best of our knowledge, the first comparative immunohistochemical analysis of five tumor markers, namely the extra-domains A and B of fibronectin, fibroblast activation protein, carcinoembryonic antigen, and MUC16 in human epithelial ovarian cancer tissue samples.
Methods
Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human ovarian tissue sections were stained using previously validated antibodies to assess the percentage and intensity of marker expressions.
Results
Our results indicate a similar stromal pattern of expression for fibroblast activation protein, extra-domains A, and extra-domains B, with extra-domains A exhibiting the most intense staining. MUC16 was abundantly expressed on tumor cells of high-grade serous carcinoma samples, while carcinoembryonic antigen was not detected in this indication. Subsequent staining revealed that carcinoembryonic antigen was highly expressed on mucinous ovarian cancer specimens. With respect to clinical features, MUC16 and extra-domains A were found to be highly expressed in the most challenging scenarios namely platinum-resistant (100% and 50% respectively) and BRCA WT (75% and 45% respectively) patients.
Conclusions
The findings of this study highlight that MUC16, extra-domains B, and extra-domains A are attractive targets for the treatment of serous ovarian carcinoma, while carcinoembryonic antigen could be exploited for mucinous ovarian cancer. Clinical investigations are warranted to validate the potential of antibody-based therapies targeting these antigens in the context of ovarian cancer.