Differences in the expression of CD44 and EMMPRIN in various spectra of mucinous ovarian tumors

Mucinous ovarian carcinoma (MOC) accounts for only 4% of epithelial ovarian carcinoma, but the incidence rate in Indonesia is higher. Mucinous ovarian tumors (MOT) consist of mucinous cystadenoma (MCA), mucinous borderline tumor (MBOT), and MOC, but the diagnosis still needs further study. Carcinogenesis of ovarian cancer involves the regulation of proliferation and invasion. CD44 is a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker that mainly plays a role in tumor cell proliferation. A glycoprotein called EMMPRIN contributes to cancer biology, particularly the invasion process. The objective was to analyze the differences in the expression of CD44 and EMMPRIN in various spectra of MOT. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed using 53 paraffin blocks from patients with MOT after approval by the Ethical Committee. The samples were divided into 3 groups, including mucinous cystadenoma (MCA), MBOT, and MOC grade 1. The expression of CD44 and EMMPRIN were evaluated using semiquantitative immunohistochemistry method. There were differences in CD44 expression in various spectra of MOT (p=0.025), with significant differences in expression between MCA and MBOT (p=0.010), but there was no correlation (p = 0.432). There was no difference in EMMPRIN expression in various spectra of MOT (p=0.207), and there was no correlation (p=0.113). There was a positive correlation between CD44 expression and EMMPRIN expression in various spectra of MOT (p=0.0003) with weak strength (r = 0.478). This study concluded that there were significant differences in CD44 expression between MCA and MBOT.