Expression and clinical significance of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase and squamous cell carcinoma antigen in cervical cancer.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the expression patterns of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) and serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) in cervical cancer andtheir clinical significance and to explore their relationship with clinicopathological parameters. METHODS: The expression of PHGDH was detected in 75 cervical cancer tissues and 21 normal cervical epithelium by immunohistochemistry. The SCC-Ag level was tested in 64 serum samples of the 75 squamous cervical cancer cases by immunoradiometric assay. The correlation of PHGDH and SCC-Ag with clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase was more moderate/strong expressed in cervical cancer than in normal cervical epithelium (72% vs 28.6%, respectively; P < 0.05); furthermore, PHGDH and serum SCC-Ag expression in squamous cervical cancer were positively correlated (r = 0.310, P < 0.05). Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase and serum SCC-Ag were both associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and tumor size (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The overexpression of PHGDH is found in cervical cancer, in particular, in bigger tumors and with advanced stages; and its expression is positively correlated with serum SCC-Ag level and implies that PHGDH may useful for prognosis, prediction, and treatment of cervical cancer.