AUTHOR=Barone Angela , Linder Anna , Mateoiu Constantina , Köster Larsen Rasmus , Blixt Ola , Teneberg Susann , Sundfeldt Karin 

TITLE=Evaluation of Sialyl-Lactotetra as a Marker for Epithelial Ovarian Tumors

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.561888

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2020.561888

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Ovarian carcinoma is a heterogeneous disease with distinct molecular and histological profiles, ranging from low grade atypia to highly aggressive tumors associated with a poor prognosis. In the present study, glycosphingolipids were isolated from human high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, whereby the novel stem cell marker Sialyl-lactotetra (S-Lc<sub>4</sub>) was characterized in two out of three cases. The presence and level of S-Lc<sub>4</sub> was further evaluated immunohistochemically in a cohort of patients with ovarian tumors ranging from benign lesions to high grade serous carcinoma (<italic>n</italic> = 478). Its expression was assessed in association with tumor grade, stage, histology, and survival. The data showed that S-Lc<sub>4</sub> is most common and highly expressed in borderline type tumors and carcinomas with low levels of aggressiveness, such as mucinous, endometrioid, and low grade serous. Accordingly, S-Lc<sub>4</sub>-positivity was associated with better disease-free survival. The expression of S-Lc<sub>4</sub> was seemingly associated with lineage continuity and could be traced from premalignant lesions to carcinoma, suggesting inheritance by a stem cell lineage that gives rise to generally indolent tumors.</p>