Taxane and platinum-based chemotherapy regimens are standard treatment for advanced ovarian carcinoma. Expression levels of putative markers of taxane resistance in carcinoma tissues and paired peritoneal samples (n = 55) and in 16 samples of ovaries without signs of carcinoma were compared with clinical data and the patients' time to progression.
KIF14,
PRC1,
CIT and
ABCC1 genes were significantly overexpressed in carcinomas when compared with normal ovarian tissues, while
ABCB1 and
CASP9 expression was decreased. Associations of protein expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67 with
KIF14,
PRC1,
ABCB1 and
CASP2 were found. Lastly, it was discovered that
ABCB1 and
CASP2 levels associated with FIGO stage and that the
CIT level associated with the time to progression of ovarian carcinoma patients (
P < 0.0001).
In conclusion, ABCB1, CASP2, KIF14, PRC1 and CIT genes seem to associate with surrogate markers of ovarian carcinoma progression and CIT gene associates with therapy outcome.