Expression of c-Kit and PDGFRα in epithelial ovarian tumors and tumor stroma

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of c-Kit and platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) in epithelial ovarian tumor cells and tumor stroma. The expression of c-Kit and PDGFRα in 71 malignant or benign epithelial ovarian tumor tissues and 20 normal ovarian tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. The expression of c-Kit and PDGFRα in 71 malignant epithelial ovarian tumors and tumor stroma tissue samples was analyzed. A significant increase (P<0.01) of c-Kit expression was observed in malignant ovarian tumors (50.7%) when compared to normal ovarian tissues (10.0%) or benign ovarian tumors (20.0%). The PDGFRα expression rate in malignant ovarian tumors (63.4%) was also significantly higher (P<0.01) than that in normal ovarian tissues (15.0%) or benign ovarian tumors (25.0%). c-Kit was expressed in only 4.2% of the tumor stroma samples, which was significantly lower than the expression of malignant ovarian tumors (P<0.01), whereas the PDGFRα expression in tumor stroma (87.3%) was significantly higher than that of the malignant ovarian tumors (P<0.01). The expression levels of c-Kit and PDGFRα are higher in the malignant ovarian tumors than in the benign ovarian tumors or normal tissues. In the malignant ovarian tumor stroma, c-Kit expression is low and PDGFRα expression is high, and the differential changes of c-kit and PDGFRα suggest distinct roles in ovarian cancer.