Gene expression in the Angiopoietin/TIE axis is altered in peripheral tissue of ovarian cancer patients: A prospective observational study.

Aims: Clinical studies suggest altered systemic vascular biology in cancer patients. We assessed expression patterns of endothelial activation- and vascular leakage-related genes in tumor as well as in tumor-free peripheral tissues from patients with and without ovarian cancer (OC).

Main Methods: Patients being scheduled for laparotomy for either gynecologic benign diagnosis (n = 10) or for advanced-stage OC (n = 22) were prospectively recruited to this observational study.