Prognostic significance of HOXD۴ protein expression in human ovarian cancers

Objective(s): Ovarian cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy, ranking as the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among females in the United States. Homeobox D۴ (HOXD۴) is a transcription factor belonging to the homeobox protein family, which plays a critical role in morphogenesis during embryo development. Here we aimed to study the HOXD۴ expression in ovarian serous carcinoma (OSC) and determine its clinical significance. Materials and Methods: Real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry targeting human OSC tissues and adjacent ovarian tissues were performed to correlate the patterns of HOXD۴ expression with clinical characteristics and survival outcomes. Cell lines and nude mice were used for verifying the role of HOXD۴ in OSC.Results: HOXD۴ protein was predominantly expressed in OSC tissues compared with nontumorous tissues. The correlation test demonstrated a significant correlation between HOXD۴ with tumor FIGO stage. Univariate and multivariate analyses found that HOXD۴ expression was associated with poorer overall survival. Furthermore, high expression of HOXD۴ protein was observed in OSC cell lines in vitro. Finally, the oncogenic effect of HOXD۴ was confirmed by cellular and xenograft experiments.Conclusion: HOXD۴ protein expression may be associated with a poorer prognosis in OSC. The unfavorable prognostic value of HOXD۴ in malignancies and its underlying mechanism are worthy of further investigation. 

Keywords:

Biomarker , Homeobox D۴ , Ovarian Neoplasms , Prognosis , Proliferation