الفهرس 
AbstractOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Autophagy is an intracellular degradation pathway that helps in maintaining cell homeostasis and survival under normal and stressful conditions. However, autophagy plays a paradoxical role in tumorigenesis. In early stages, autophagy acts as a tumor suppressor via degradation of damaged cellular contents, decreasing ROS and damaged DNA. However, in more advanced stages of tumor development, it helps cancer cells to survive under low-oxygen and low-nutrient conditions, acting as a tumor promoter. This work aimed to study the immunohistochemical expression of Beclin-1 and LC3B in epithelial ovarian tumors and to evaluate the relation between Beclin-1 and LC3B with available clinicopathologic parameters. This study included 80 cases of epithelial ovarian tumors. Specimens were collected and stained by H&E for routine histopathological examination as well as Beclin-1 and LC3B monoclonal antibodies for immunohistochemical study. In this study, Beclin-1 was expressed in the nucleus as well as the cytoplasm of tumor cells. Nuclear Beclin-1 expression was more prominent in benign and borderline tumors compared to the malignant group whereas cytoplasmic Beclin-1 staining significantly increased from benign through borderline to the malignant tumors. Beclin-1 high cytoplasmic expression was significantly high in high-grade tumors, stage III cases and tumors with omental deposits as well as tumors with capsular invasion. On the other hand, cytoplasmic Beclin-1 expression was not significantly related to histologic types according to WHO, tumor type and vascular invasion. Nuclear Beclin-1 expression showed no significant relation with clinicopathologic parameters in EOCs. Regarding LC3B expression, nuclear as well as cytoplasmic subcellular localization was detected. Nuclear LC3B staining was more expressed in benign and borderline groups compared to the malignant tumors. As for cytoplasmic LC3B staining, significant increase from benign to borderline was detected reaching high expression in the malignant group. Cytoplasmic LC3B expression was significantly high in stage III tumors and tumors with omental deposits as well as those with positive vascular invasion. In contrast, there were no significant relations with histologic types according to WHO, tumor type, tumor grade and presence of capsular invasion. As for nuclear LC3B expression, no significant relations were detected with different clinicopathologic parameters in EOCs On studying the relation between Beclin-1 and LC3B expression, a statistically significant association between both markers was detected. High Beclin-1 expression was associated with high LC3B expression in EOCs.