Copyright @ 2006 International Society of Gynecological Pathologists. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. Original Article Expression of Extracellular Matrix Proteins in

Summary: The aims of this study were to perform a comprehensive expression analysis of the genes encoding extracellular matrix proteins and to investigate the expression pattern in one of these proteins, syndecan 1, in normal ovarian epithelium as well as benign and malignant ovarian serous tumors. Gene expression of 16 different extracellular matrix proteins was analyzed in ovarian serous tumors based on serial analysis of gene expression database. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptionYpolymerase chain reaction was used to validate the serial analysis of gene expression result from each gene. As compared with normal ovarian surface epithelium, we found overexpression of syndecan 1, collagen type IV alpha 2, elastin microfibril interfase located protein 1, and laminin 5 in ovarian serous carcinomas. Syndecan 1 was selected for further study as it has not been well characterized in ovarian cancer and the syndecan 1 antibody was available for immunohistochemistry. Using a syndecan 1Yspecific monoclonal antibody, we demonstrated that syndecan 1 was expressed in 30.4 % of high-grade serous carcinomas, 29.7 % of low-grade carcinomas and serous borderline tumors, but none of benign serous cystadenomas and ovarian surface epithelium. Although both high-grade and low-grad