Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Gene Polymorphisms in Patients With Ovarian Cancer

IntroductionNew reliable and validated markers are desirable in the treatment of ovarian cancer. The platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) system plays an important role in tumor growth and angiogenesis, and high expression of PDGF/PDGF receptor (PDGFR) has been reported in ovarian cancer. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within a gene may be important for the function of the protein. This had led to the hypothesis that SNPs within the PDGF system could have clinical relevance as prognostic biomarkers in ovarian cancer.MethodsThe study included hypothesis-generating patient material from 170 patients with histologically verified epithelial ovarian cancer in which 5 tagging SNPs in the promoter region of the PDGF-AA, PDGF-BB, PDGFR-α, and PDGFR-β genes were analyzed by means of SNaPshot Multiplex (Applied Biosystems, Carlsbad, CA) and sequencing methods. The results were validated in an independent second cohort of 85 patients.ResultsIn the hypothesis-generating study, survival analyses were made for all 5 SNPs. PDGF-AA 1589 G/T genotype was found to be associated with overall survival in univariate analysis (P = .03), with a clear trend seen in Cox multivariate analysis (P = .12; hazard ratio, 0.75). However, the suggested prognostic importance of PDGF-AA 1589 G/T was not confirmed in the second cohort.ConclusionTagging SNPs in the promoter region of the PDGF-AA, PDGF-BB, PDGFR-α, and PDGFR-β genes, as evaluated here, are not likely to be of prognostic importance in patients with ovarian cancer.