Tau protein as a potential predictive marker in epithelial ovarian cancer patients treated with paclitaxel/platinum first-line chemotherapy

Abstract

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to evaluate predictive and prognostic significance of microtubule-associated protein Tau in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients treated with paclitaxel and platinum-based chemotherapy.Methods74 patients with EOC (stage I-IV) who underwent cytoreductive surgery followed by standard paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy were included in the retrospective analysis. Their formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens were immunohistochemically stained for Tau protein, using semi-quantitative DAKO test. Tau expression was acknowledged as negative (0 and 1+) or positive (2+ and 3+). The correlation between Tau expression, progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. Statistical analysis included Kaplan-Meyer estimator, long rank test, Mann Whitney test and Cox proportional hazards model.Results25.7% (19/74) and 74.3% (55/74) of the patients were classified as Tau-negative and Tau-positive, respectively. Median PFS was 28.7 months for Tau-negative group and 15.9 months for Tau-positive group (p = 0.0355). In the univariate analysis 3-year OS in Tau-negative and Tau-positive groups was 80.2% and 52.4%, respectively (p = 0.0198). Low expression of protein Tau was associated with better OS, whereas an advanced stage at diagnosis, suboptimal surgery, serous histological type and resistance to first line chemotherapy were each correlated with worse OS (p <0,05). In multivariate analysis only resistance to first line chemotherapy remained significant (HR 22.59; 95% CI, 8.71-58.55; p <0.0001).ConclusionsNegative tau protein seems to be both good prognostic factor and a predictor of response to paclitaxel/platinum-based chemotherapy in EOC patients.

Functional role of the Tau protein in epithelial ovarian cancer cells

“…The PFS of the Tau‐negative patients was significantly better than that of the Tau‐positive patients ( P =.0355). In the univariate analysis, the 3 year OS of the Tau‐negative patients was significantly better than that of the Tau‐positive patients ( P =.0198) 4. However, in the multivariate analysis, there was no significant difference 4.…”

“…In the univariate analysis, the 3 year OS of the Tau‐negative patients was significantly better than that of the Tau‐positive patients ( P =.0198) 4. However, in the multivariate analysis, there was no significant difference 4. It was concluded that negative Tau protein expression seems to be both a good prognostic factor and a predictor of the response to paclitaxel and platinum‐based chemotherapy in patients with epithelial OC 4.…”

“…However, in the multivariate analysis, there was no significant difference 4. It was concluded that negative Tau protein expression seems to be both a good prognostic factor and a predictor of the response to paclitaxel and platinum‐based chemotherapy in patients with epithelial OC 4. Conversely, another study reported that Tau expression was not associated with PFS or OS in serous epithelial OC 23.…”

“…MCAS is a type of mucinous carcinoma. In a previous study, the primary tumors of 74 patients with OC were immunohistochemically stained for the Tau protein 4. The number of Tau‐positive patients was compared between the patients with the serous and those with the non‐serous type.…”

“…Therefore, the sensitivity to paclitaxel should be weak in cells with a high Tau protein expression. A study examined the Tau expression of 74 patients with epithelial OC and compared the progression‐free survival (PFS) and 3 year overall survival (OS) 4. The PFS of the Tau‐negative patients was significantly better than that of the Tau‐positive patients ( P =.0355).…”