Epigenetic inactivation of TMS1/ASC in ovarian cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to explore the role of epigenetic inactivation of apoptotic pathways in ovarian cancer by examining the DNA methylation and expression status of four proapoptotic genes in primary ovarian cancers and cancer cell lines and to correlate those findings with the clinicopathological features of ovarian cancer patients.

Experimental Design: Genomic DNA was isolated from 15 ovarian cancer cell lines, 80 primary ovarian cancer specimens, and 4 normal ovary specimens using phenol-chloroform extraction. The methylation status of the DNA was evaluated using combined bisulfite restriction analysis, gene expression was evaluated using reverse transcription-PCR, and histone acetylation was evaluated using chromatin immunoprecipitation.

Mechanisms of paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in an ovarian cancer cell line and its paclitaxel-resistant clone.

Background: To understand the complicated network of paclitaxel (PTX)-induced apoptosis pathways and to elucidate mechanisms of drug resistance in ovarian cancer, we looked at PTX-induced apoptosis by using cDNA microarray. We also quantitated the changes in apoptosis-related proteins in the process of apoptosis.

Methods: An ovarian cancer cell line KF, and its PTX-resistant clone KFTX, were treated with PTX or carboplatin (CBDCA).

Comparison of the usefulness between a new universal grading system for epithelial ovarian cancer and the FIGO grading system.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the usefulness of a new universal grading system for ovarian cancer proposed by Shimizu et al. (Cancer 82 (1998), 893; Gynecol. Oncol.