Fig. 8.

Protein expression of sulfotransferases Gal3ST2, Gal3ST4, and CHST1 in benign and malignant serous ovarian tumor cells analyzed using immunohistochemistry and tissue micro arrays.A, representative antibody staining of tissue from patient diagnosed with serous cystadenoma, patient with low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC, stage IIC, type 1) and patient with high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC, stage IIIC, type 2). Immuno-positive staining is observed as brown coloring of tissue. Scale bars represent 200 μm (benign tissue sections) or 500 μm (malignant tissue sections). B, statistical evaluation of sulfotransferase expression after patient stratification. Patients were stratified based on their level of malignancy (benign (“BEN”), borderline, malignant (“MAL”)). Malignant cases was also further subdivided based on level of differentiation (“highly,” “moderately,” or “poorly”) according to WHO 2008 classification (37). Quick score (QS) scoring (0–7) for sulfotransferase expression was based upon manual evaluation and the sum of the proportion and intensity of staining (see Experimental Procedures section). Tissue micro array data was based upon the screening of tissue from 323 patients stratified based on malignancy level and level of differentiation. The clinicopathological data is compiled in supplemental Table S4. Tissue sections were analyzed in duplicates or triplicates. The bar graphs indicate the median value. For significance; ∗∗∗∗ means p < 0.001, ∗ means p < 0.05, ns means no significance. HE, hematoxylin-eosin.