Abstract:

Objectives: To investigate MAP Kinase (p38), c-Fos, c-Jun and c-Myc; in RAS/RAF/MEK/MAPK pathway by immunohistochemically in high grade serous adenocarcinomas, serous borderline tumors and benign lesions of the ovarian. Materials and Methods: Twelve serous borderline tumors, 41 high-grade serous carcinomas and 19 cases of serous papillary cystadenofibromas, serous cystadenomas; p38, c-Myc, c-Jun and c-Fos immunohistochemical staining were performed. Results: In borderline and benign lesions, diffuse and level staining was observed in all cases with c-Fos, whereas focal and mild staining was observed in only 16 of the serous adenocarcinomas (p<0.05). While nuclear staining was not observed in any of the serous adenocarcinomas with c-Myc, mild and focal staining was detected in four of the borderline tumors and 16 of the benign tumors. There was a statistically significant difference in nuclear staining between the three groups (p<0.05). Nuclear staining was detected in four borderline tumors, in seven serous adenocarcinomas and in eight cases in the benign tumor group with c-Jun. These stainings were not statistically significant. Moderate staining was observed in 18 of benign tumors and in all borderline tumors and mild staining in eight of serous adenocarcinomas. A statistically significant difference was found between benign and serous borderline tumors and serous adenocarcinomas (p<0. There was no difference between benign tumors and borderline tumors. Conclusion: In borderline serous tumors; the nuclear expression of p38, c-Myc and c-Fos is statistically different from serous adenocarcinomas that proves the activation of the RAS/RAF/MEK/MAPK pathway in borderline tumors. In practical life, although it may seem usable in the cases that these tumors cannot be separated from serous adenocarcinoma; that we could not include in this study; the staining pattern in low-grade serous adenocarcinomas is unknown. Therefore, it should be investigated in large case series whether low-grade serous adenocarcinomas and borderline tumors show similar expression patterns.

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