Stage Ovarian Cancer Research Articles

RECURRENCE OF OVARIAN CANCER: POSSIBLE CAUSES, EARLY DETECTION

Relevance: Early detection of ovarian cancer relapses and their treatment is among the most difficult in practical oncogynecology. Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer recurrence increases the effectiveness of treatment and gives a more favorable survival prognosis.
 The study aimed to show the possible cause of ovarian cancer recurrence and methods for early detection of relapses.
 Materials and methods: We systematically analyzed 31 cases of recurrent ovarian cancer treated at the Zhambyl Regional Center of Oncology and Surgery (Kazakhstan) in 2021-2022. We divided them by age, stage, period of relapse, type of histology, tumor grade, sites of recurrence, and symptoms of recurrence.
 Results: Ovarian cancer is most often detected in the late stages since, in the early stages, the disease is asymptomatic. Patients with advanced stages showed more relapses and distant metastases. Most ovarian cancer and this disease’s relapses are detected at 50-70 years old. The late stages give more distant and multiple relapses than the early stages and in terms of earlier. Moreover, according to histology results, mesenchymal tumors are more significant than epithelial and G3.
 Conclusion: The recurrence of ovarian cancer is an aggressively occurring disease. Based on the analysis work carried out, more than 70% of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer were aged 50-70 years, and the recurrence rate was higher at later stages (St III) or with a low-grade form of the tumor. All patients received platinum-based combination therapy. Targeted therapy (Bevacizumab) was administered in generalization of the process. More than 20% of all patients are resistant to platinum, whose relapse occurred before six months; the rest are sensitive to platinum with a later relapse. Based on everything, there is an increase in distant and multiple relapses in the late stages of ovarian cancer. This indicates the need to introduce screening programs based on cancer markers (CA-125) and diagnostic instrumental examinations (MRI/CT) to detect ovarian cancer in the early stages. After the treatment, all patients with this disease should be under active supervision, especially patients with low-grade tumors and in late stages.

RECURRENCE OF OVARIAN CANCER:
 POSSIBLE CAUSES, EARLY DETECTION

Relevance: Early detection of ovarian cancer relapses and their treatment is among the most difficult in practical oncogynecology.
 Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer recurrence increases the effectiveness of treatment and gives a more favorable survival prognosis.
 The study aimed to show the possible cause of ovarian cancer recurrence and methods for early detection of relapses.
 Materials and methods: We systematically analyzed 31 cases of recurrent ovarian cancer treated at the Zhambyl Regional Center
 of Oncology and Surgery (Kazakhstan) in 2021-2022. We divided them by age, stage, period of relapse, type of histology, tumor grade,
 sites of recurrence, and symptoms of recurrence.
 Results: Ovarian cancer is most often detected in the late stages since, in the early stages, the disease is asymptomatic. Patients with
 advanced stages showed more relapses and distant metastases. Most ovarian cancer and this disease’s relapses are detected at 50-70
 years old. The late stages give more distant and multiple relapses than the early stages and in terms of earlier. Moreover, according to
 histology results, mesenchymal tumors are more significant than epithelial and G3.
 Conclusion: The recurrence of ovarian cancer is an aggressively occurring disease. Based on the analysis work carried out, more
 than 70% of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer were aged 50-70 years, and the recurrence rate was higher at later stages (St III)
 or with a low-grade form of the tumor. All patients received platinum-based combination therapy. Targeted therapy (Bevacizumab) was
 administered in generalization of the process. More than 20% of all patients are resistant to platinum, whose relapse occurred before six
 months; the rest are sensitive to platinum with a later relapse. Based on everything, there is an increase in distant and multiple relapses
 in the late stages of ovarian cancer. This indicates the need to introduce screening programs based on cancer markers (CA-125) and
 diagnostic instrumental examinations (MRI/CT) to detect ovarian cancer in the early stages. After the treatment, all patients with this
 disease should be under active supervision, especially patients with low-grade tumors and in late stages.

The diagnostic value of systemic inflammatory response markers as predictors of epithelial ovarian cancer

Background: Early detection of ovarian neoplasms confers a better outcome and prognosis for patients. Although newer diagnostic modalities have been recently developed, the availability and accessibility of complete blood count parameters make it a convenient and cost-effective marker for malignancy. Objectives were to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of pretreatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with late-stage epithelial ovarian malignancy at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Methods: A prospective analysis of fifty-seven women with histologic diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer who were managed at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022, was conducted. A data collection form was used to obtain socio-demographic and clinico-pathological characteristics from the patients after informed consent was obtained. Pretreatment levels of NLR and PLR were determined from complete blood count. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the predictive accuracy of the haematological parameters for late-stage epithelial ovarian cancer. Results: Higher values of NLR and PLR were significantly associated with the stage of ovarian cancer (p=0.001). The optimal cut-off points based on ROC curve analyses for NLR and PLR were found to be 2.6 (AUC=0.61, p>0.05), and 155.8 (AUC=0.62, p>0.05) respectively. However, none of the haematological parameters could be used as predictive markers for advanced-stage ovarian cancer in this study. Conclusions: Pretreatment NLR and PLR cannot be used as a stand-alone predictor of advanced ovarian cancer, and should be correlated with other clinical, laboratory and radiologic parameters.

CYTOKINE-MODULATING INFLUENCE OF HIPEC ON THE INTRAPERITONEAL HOMEOSTASIS FORMATION IN PATIENTS WITH OVARIAN CANCER

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) has the greatest mortality rate among oncogynecological diseases. Most cases are diagnosed at the peritoneal dissemination stage, resulting in radical treatment. Most cases (75%) are diagnosed in III-IV stages at the stage of peritoneal dissemination, making the radical treatment impossible. Intraoperative hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC), which has ceased to be an experimental technique over the past decade, is increasingly used among the methods of combating peritoneal carcinomatosis and demonstrates an increase in recurrence-free and overall survival in advanced stages of OC. Nevertheless, certain pathophysiological aspects of the effect of HIPEC on intra-abdominal homeostasis, and therefore on the further course of the disease, have not been elucidated. However, understanding this effect may be the key to the successful application of HIPEC and predicting its efficacy in each case of OC.
 Objectives: To access changes in intraperitoneal homeostasis in patients with advanced OC after HIPEC procedure (as a stage of cytoreductive surgery); in particular, to evaluate changes of TNF and TGF-β expression under the influence of HIPEC and systemic chemotherapy in the OC microenvironment.
 Materials and methods: The study included 33 OC patients treated at Lviv Regional Cancer Centre in 2016–2020. Twelve of them received HIPEC. The primary tumor cultures and primary cultures of peritoneal mesothelium and macrophages were obtained for all patients. The cytokines TNF and TGF-β activity were determined in their conditional media.
 Results: The decrease of TNF and TGF-β concentrations in the drainage exudate after HIPEC was revealed compared with the same parameters in the ascitic fluid before the operation. One-hour hyperthermia of the primary culture of peritoneal ascites-associated macrophages of recurrent OC patients decreased the TNF level in conditional media. A decline was found in 10 out of 12 cases.
 Conclusions: HIPEC has a cytokine-modulating effect on the intra-abdominal homeostasis of patients with OC, suppressing TNF expression by peritoneal macrophages. Reduced activity of TNF in supernatants of OC primary tumor cultures was associated with higher sensitivity to chemotherapy.

Method for the molecular and quantitative identification of oocytes and their developmental stage in teleost fish gonads

Fish display diverse reproductive strategies and their gametogenesis is influenced by numerous genetic, physiological and environmental factors. The analysis of 5S rRNA expression levels in gonads has been proposed as useful method for the molecular identification of the presence of oocytes in fish tissues. The present method provides an easy and unbiased approach to analyse the expression of tRNAs and 5S rRNA in teleost gonads and stablish the presence and developmental stage of oocytes. Total RNA extracted from gonads is analysed through capillary electrophoresis in a Bioanalyzer 2100 (Agilent Technologies) using Small RNA Assays. Electropherograms allow quantifying the concentrations of tRNAs, 5S rRNA and 5.8S rRNA per sample and calculate their tRNA/5.8S rRNA and 5S/5.8S rRNA indices. Both indices clearly differentiate ovaries from testes and can be used to identify testes that present oocytes due to exposure to environmental xenoestrogens. The tRNA/5.8S and 5S/5.8S indices show the highest values in ovaries in previtellogenic stage, values decreasing as they advance towards maturity.•Detailed molecular method to sex fish and quantitatively identify the maturity stage of females.•tRNA levels in gonads can help in the study of teleost reproduction (female fecundity assessment, molecular gonad sexing) and environmental health assessment.

Dynamic changes characteristics of the spermatozoon during the reproductive process of mud crab (Scylla paramamosain): From spermatophore formation, transportation to dispersion

To enhance comprehension of the destiny of the spermatozoon throughout the reproductive process of mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) is important for achieving large-scale artificial breeding of Scylla. The reproductive systems of sexually mature male and female mud crabs were studied, utilizing the histomorphological method. The spermatozoon traveled from testicular lobules through the seminiferous duct, into the anterior vas deferens (AVD) via the collecting duct. The spermatophore wall formed at the end of the AVD. During copulation, spermatophores stored in the median vas deferens (MVD) were transferred to the seminal receptacle through the posterior vas deferens (PVD), ejaculatory duct, and gonopod, with seminal plasma secreted by both MVD and PVD together. After mating, the sperm plug was formed within the seminal receptacle's ventral zone. At ovary stage Ⅲ, the spermatophore wall ruptured, and the sperm plug disappeared. Bundled sperm packets congregated into a dense mass, while a few spermatozoa dispersed along the intermediate chamber to the dorsal zone. At ovary stage Ⅳ, the dorsal zone also exhibited a dense sperm mass due to increased dispersal. At ovary stage Ⅴ, merely a modest portion of the dense sperm mass remained in the ventral zone, and the rest dissociated and dispersed within the seminal receptacle. Following ovulation, sperm mass remained in the ventral zone, re-dissociating and re-dispersing once ovarian development reached stage Ⅲ again. The phased dispersion supply mode of spermatozoa behind multiple ovipositions was unveiled. Furthermore, we observed the ultrastructural changes in the spermatozoon during the process of the capacitation, including operculum widening, actin-containing substance accumulation, and the density of chromatin in the nucleus decreased. As presented herein, the elucidation of the dynamic changes of the spermatozoon, as well as the pattern of spermatozoa supply, contributes significantly to our enhanced comprehension of the reproductive biology of Scylla.

Identifying Explainable Machine Learning Models and a Novel SFRP2+ Fibroblast Signature as Predictors for Precision Medicine in Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a type of malignant tumor with a consistently high mortality rate. The diagnosis of early-stage OC and identification of functional subsets in the tumor microenvironment are essential to the development of patient management strategies. However, the development of robust models remains unsatisfactory. We aimed to utilize artificial intelligence and single-cell analysis to address this issue. Two independent datasets were screened from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and processed to obtain overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in stage II–IV vs. stage I diseases. Three explainable machine learning algorithms were integrated to construct models that could determine the tumor stage and extract important characteristic genes as diagnostic biomarkers. Correlations between cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) infiltration and characteristic gene expression were analyzed using TIMER2.0 and their relationship with survival rates was comprehensively explored via the Kaplan–Meier plotter (KM-plotter) online database. The specific expression of characteristic genes in fibroblast subsets was investigated through single-cell analysis. A novel fibroblast subset signature was explored to predict immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) response and oncogene mutation through Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) and artificial neural network algorithms, respectively. We found that Support Vector Machine–Shapley Additive Explanations (SVM-SHAP), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Random Forest (RF) successfully diagnosed early-stage OC (stage I). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of these models exceeded 0.990. Their overlapping characteristic gene, secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2), was a risk factor that affected the overall survival of OC patients with stage II–IV disease (log-rank test: p < 0.01) and was specifically expressed in a fibroblast subset. Finally, the SFRP2+ fibroblast signature served as a novel predictor in evaluating ICI response and exploring pan-cancer tumor protein P53 (TP53) mutation (AUC = 0.853, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.829–0.877). In conclusion, the models based on SVM-SHAP, XGBoost, and RF enabled the early detection of OC for clinical decision making, and SFRP2+ fibroblast signature used in diagnostic models can inform OC treatment selection and offer pan-cancer TP53 mutation detection.

Characterization and Expression of Cytochrome b5 Gene and Protein in Ovaries of Giant Tiger Shrimp Penaeus monodon

The full-length transcript of cytochrome b5 (PmCytb5) in the giant tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) was characterized. It was 1539 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) of 432 bp deducing to 143 amino acids. The deduced PmCytb5 protein contained predicted cytochrome b5-like heme/steroid binding domain (Cytb5, positions 17-91) and a transmembrane domain (positions 120-139). In non-ablated wild adults, PmCytb transcript was significantly increased in mature ovaries while it was earlier upregulated in late vitellogenic stage in eyestalk-ablated shrimp (P<0.05). Progesterone injection (0.1 μg/g) induced the expression of PmCytb5 at 48 hours post injection (hpi, P<0.05) but serotonin (50 μg/g) did not alter its expression (P>0.05) in domesticated adults. The cytoplasmic PmCytb5 protein was upregulated from immature ovaries in the early vitellogenic stage and comparably expressed in subsequent stages in non-ablated wild broodstock. In eyestalk-ablated wild broodstock, a similar expression profile was observed but its expression was further increased in late vitellogenic, and mature stages. The membrane PmCytb5 protein was upregulated in late vitellogenic and mature stages in the former but expressed at a similar level in different ovarian stages in eyestalk-ablated broodstock. Results suggested the important role of PmCytb5 in ovarian development of P. monodon.

Investigation of Phytoestrogens Found in Sesame Seeds via Computational and Translational Approaches

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder that primarily impacts reproductive-aged women. Phytoestrogens, also known as plant oestrogens, are naturally occurring compounds with a chemical structure similar to that of human oestrogen. In this study, rational and translational approaches were used to check the efficacy of phytoestrogens found in sesame seeds. The objectives included the prediction and comparison of proteins responsible for PCOS, that is, MADH4 and phytoestrogens (ascorbic acid and thiamine) present in sesame seeds. Moreover, their interaction and inhibition of the target protein through molecular docking as a rational layout were recorded. The effects of these phytochemicals were further confirmed by using PCOS induced Sprague dawley rats with standard drug Clomiphene citrate. In the translational study, PCOS was induced in an animal model and ovulation and estrous cycles were observed. Afterwards, the effects of the crude extract of sesame seed were further confirmed by measuring the levels of progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen serum levels in control, positive control, and all the sesame seed and standard drug treated groups. Two lead compounds namely ascorbic acid and thiamine obtained from sesame seeds showed the best results as compared to the standard drug Clomiphene citrate which imparts immunotoxicity against MADH4 protein responsible for the onset of PCOS. Furthermore, different stages of ovulation namely proestrus, metestrus, estrus, and diestrus were observed with vaginal smears obtained in the disease induction time period. The results obtained from the hormonal profile of all the groups indicated that the progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone levels were statistically significant with p-values less than 0.05. The findings indicated that sesame seeds possess the capability to suppress the expression of MADH4, while also maintaining the regulated hormone levels.

Molecular and functional characterization of ribosome protein S24 in ovarian development of Macrobrachium nipponense

Ribosomal proteins (RPs) have mang extraribosomal functions including regulation of ovarian development in some organisms. In order to solve the problem of rapid ovarian maturation in Macrobrachium nipponense aquaculture, this study identified a RPS24 (MnRPS24) gene from M. nipponense, which encodes a protein of ββαβαααα folding structure type. MnRPS24 exhibited the greatest expressions in the female adult stage among the six growth stages, in the ovary among the nine tissues, and in the stage I ovary among the six ovarian development stages. The MnRPS24 protein located in the cytoplasm of oogonia, previtellogenic and early-vitellogenic oocytes, and the follicular cells surrounding the oocytes. The expression of the vitellogenin (MnVg), vitellogenin receptor (MnVgr), cell cycle protein B (MnCyclin B) and cell division cyclin 2 (MnCdc2) genes were increased by recombinant MnRPS24 protein incubation. Conversely, the expression of the Wee1 kinase (MnWee1) gene was decreased. MnRPS24 gene silencing downregulated the expression for MnVg, MnVgr, MnCyclin B and MnCdc2 and upregulated the expression for MnWee1. Furthermore, MnRPS24 gene silencing delayed the vitellogenesis of oocytes, halting the progression of ovarian development. The findings of this research demonstrate that MnRPS24 could potentially function as a stimulator in promoting the development of ovaries in M. nipponense.

Solitary lymph-nodal para-aortic recurrence in a patient with High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the second most common cause of gynecologic cancer death. The most common histologic category of epithelial ovarian cancer is High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC). The initial management usually involves appropriate staging and debulking surgery. Otherwise, patients with unresectable disease receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and then undergo Interval Debulking Surgery (IDS). However, even cases with complete clinical response often experience a recurrence. While the primary debulking surgery is the standard of treatment, the role of secondary debulking surgery for recurrent ovarian cancer is still debatable. The most common sites of recurrences are pelvis and abdomen, whereas recurrence confined solely to lymph node is a rare event. Secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS) for recurrent ovarian cancer presenting as isolated lymph node metastases has been associated with favorable long-term survival, although the resection of aortic metastatic lymph nodes could be related to severe intraoperative complications. In this article, we report a case of a 72-year-old patient with an isolated lymph-nodal para-aortic recurrence with a history of primary debulking surgery for high grade serous ovarian cancer FIGO stage IV, four years before, followed by received adjuvant chemotherapy, and maintenance therapy. The patient presented with a lymph node relapse down the ileocolic artery and submitted to radical resection of the metastatic lymph nodes.

Spatio-temporal patterns of ovarian development and VgR gene silencing reduced fecundity in parthenogenetic Artemia

The halophilic zooplankton brine shrimp Artemia has been used as an experimental animal in multidisciplinary studies. However, the reproductive patterns and its regulatory mechanisms in Artemia remain unclear. In this study, the ovarian development process of parthenogenetic Artemia ( A. parthenogenetica ) was divided into five stages, and oogenesis or egg formation was identified in six phases. The oogenesis mode was assumed to be polytrophic. We also traced the dynamic translocation of candidate germline stem cells (cGSCs) using EdU labelling and elucidated several key cytological events in oogenesis through haematoxylin and eosin staining and fluorescence imaging. Distinguished from the ovary structure of insects and crustaceans, Artemia germarium originated from ovariole buds and are located at the base of the ovarioles. RNA-seq based on five stages of ovarian development identified 2657 upregulated genes related to reproduction by pair-to-pair comparison. Gbb , Dpp , piwi , vasa , nanos , VgA and VgR genes associated with cGSCs recognition and reproductive development were screened and verified using qPCR. Silencing of the VgR gene in A. parthenogenetica ( Ap-VgR ) at ovarian development Stage II led to a low level of gene expression (less than 10%) within 5 days, which resulted in variations in oogenesis-related gene expression and significantly inhibited vitellogenesis, impeded oocyte maturation, and eventually decreased the number of offspring. In conclusion, we have illustrated the patterns of ovarian development, outlined the key spatio-temporal features of oogenesis and identified the negative impacts of VgR gene knockdown on oogenesis using A. parthenogenetica as an experimental animal. The findings of this study also lay a foundation for the further study of reproductive biology of invertebrates.

First-line maintenance use among patients with advanced ovarian cancer in a community oncology setting: A retrospective observational study in the United States (US).

544 Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) accounts for 1.1% of all cancers and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in women in the US. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) are targeted therapies that induce synthetic lethality in tumor cells with homologous recombination deficiencies, including BReast CAncer gene (BRCA) mutations. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) ligand to inhibit angiogenesis. Active surveillance (AS) is close monitoring of patients with OC without providing treatment. Both maintenance therapy and AS require frequent surveillance to achieve optimal outcomes. Previous studies have shown that maintenance therapy with PARPi and/or bevacizumab are effective treatment strategies for patients with advanced stage OC, however, they are often underutilized by physicians (Gogineni V et al. J Cancer 2021;12(1):38-53). Methods: This retrospective study accessed the Ontada iKnowMed database to review the charts of patients who initiated platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC) in the first-line (1L) setting between January 1, 2018–December 31, 2020. Follow-up data for patients were collected through September 30, 2021. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to compare utilization of maintenance therapy versus AS following 1L PBC for real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Following 1L PBC, 239 (39.8%) patients received maintenance therapy (56.5% received PARPis, 34.3% received bevacizumab and 9.2% received PARPi and bevacizumab) and 315 (52.5%) received AS. Median (min, max) follow-up time from initial diagnosis was 20.1 (2.2, 43.3) months for patients who received AS and 20.0 (4.4, 44.2) months for patients who received 1L maintenance therapy. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 62.4 (12.0) and 65.8 (12.9) years for the maintenance and AS groups, respectively. Biomarker testing was not available in >40% of patients. Observed median rwPFS was 26.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21.3, not reached) for patients who received 1L maintenance therapy and 11.3 months (95% CI: 9.5, 13.0) for patients who received AS (log rank p<0.0001). Whilst observed median OS was not reached for either group, OS probabilities were 95.7%, 88.3%, and 82.4% at 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years respectively for patients who received 1L maintenance therapy and 85.9%, 71.5%, and 58.0% for patients who received AS. Conclusions: Despite previous studies demonstrating the benefits of maintenance therapy, <50% of patients in this study received 1L maintenance therapy following 1L PBC. These results show that maintenance therapies can improve rwPFS and OS in patients with advanced OC compared to AS. Therefore, there is a need to better understand maintenance therapy provider preferences and/or challenges. Funding: GSK 217225.

Top-Down Proteomics of Human Saliva, Analyzed with Logistic Regression and Machine Learning Methods, Reveal Molecular Signatures of Ovarian Cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal of all gynecological cancers. Due to vague symptoms, OC is mostly detected at advanced stages, with a 5-year survival rate (SR) of only 30%; diagnosis at stage I increases the 5-year SR to 90%, suggesting that early diagnosis is essential to cure OC. Currently, the clinical need for an early, reliable diagnostic test for OC screening remains unmet; indeed, screening is not even recommended for healthy women with no familial history of OC for fear of post-screening adverse events. Salivary diagnostics is considered a major resource for diagnostics of the future. In this work, we searched for OC biomarkers (BMs) by comparing saliva samples of patients with various stages of OC, breast cancer (BC) patients, and healthy subjects using an unbiased, high-throughput proteomics approach. We analyzed the results using both logistic regression (LR) and machine learning (ML) for pattern analysis and variable selection to highlight molecular signatures for OC and BC diagnosis and possibly re-classification. Here, we show that saliva is an informative test fluid for an unbiased proteomic search of candidate BMs for identifying OC patients. Although we were not able to fully exploit the potential of ML methods due to the small sample size of our study, LR and ML provided patterns of candidate BMs that are now available for further validation analysis in the relevant population and for biochemical identification.

Nutrient Composition of Ovary, Hepatopancreas and Muscle Tissues in Relation to Ovarian Development Stage of Female Swimming Crab, Portunus trituberculatus.

The swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus is one of the most important economic species in China and its mature ovary often determines its commercial value and production. Although the ovary maturation of crustaceans is generally affected by exogenous nutrition, the specific nutritional needs of ovary maturation of P. trituberculatus are poorly understood. To this end, we collected the P. trituberculatus samples with five ovarian maturation stages and measured their biochemical composition of the ovary, hepatopancreas, and muscle at each ovarian developmental stage. We further analyzed their relation to the ovarian developmental stage of P. trituberculatus by principal components analysis (PCA). We found the levels of branched-chain amino acids, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in the ovary and hepatopancreas increased during the ovary maturation process, and also passively correlated with ovarian developmental stage, which highlights the necessity of these specific nutrients for oogenesis and for improving the nutrient quality of crabs. In addition, we found an increasing tendency of carotenoid content and phosphatidylcholine in phospholipid in the ovary from the pre-developmental stage to the proliferative stage, but not in the hepatopancreas and muscle, which highlights the possible involvement of carotenoids during the rapid oocyte development process. Our study may provide valuable information for developing a suitable broodstock diet that promotes the ovarian maturation of adult P. trituberculatus and ensures high-quality larval production.

Sex biased expression of Fem-1 in larval stages suggests its function in early sex differentiation of Litopeneaus vannamei

The Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei) is an economically important species worldwide. As females exhibit a faster growth rate than males, it is crucial to understand the mechanism of sex determination and differentiation for the purpose of mono-sex breeding in shrimp. The feminization-1 gene (Fem-1) serves as a sex-determining gene in Caenorhabditis elegans, and the Fem-1 family is implicated in sex development in several crustaceans. In this study, three Fem-1 family members, namely LvFem-1a, LvFem-1b, and LvFem-1c, were identified and characterized in L. vannamei. Based on genetic sex marker, individuals were separated by sex during the early developmental stages. The expression profiles of these genes were analyzed in female or male larvae. Significant differences between females and males were observed during the early stages of development. In Zoea III or earlier stages, the expressions levels in males were significantly higher than those in females. Intriguingly, there was a shift towards higher expression in females during the mysis and post-larval stages. These findings indicate that the Zoea III stage may be crucial for sex differentiation in shrimp. In addition, the analysis of gene expression across various ovarian stages and tissues was conducted. Results showed that all three genes were highly expressed in the ovary, with particularly elevated levels in ovarian development stage II. These findings suggest that the Fem-1 genes play a critical role in early ovary development. This study is the first research focusing on the sex-specific expression of sex differentiation genes in shrimp. The obtained results provide new insights into to the role of the Fem-1 gene family in sex differentiation and gonadal development.

The Role of Interleukin 6 (IL6), Cancer Antigen-125 (CA-125), and Human Epididymis Protein 4 (HE4) to predict tumor resectability in the advanced epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

A study of tumor resectability in pre-operative patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer is required to predict primary surgical benefits accurately. This study aims to investigate IL6, CA-125 and HE4 to predict tumor resectability in the pre-operative patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the polyclinic, oncology and gynecology inpatient room of Dr. M. Jamil Padang Hospital from June until December 2022. Advanced epithelial ovarian cancer stage based on histology result from FIGO stages IIIB-IVA. IL6, CA-125, and HE4 were measured using ECLIA (electrochemiluminescence immunoassay). Categorical data were assessed using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. Numerical variable correlations were analyzed using Pearson Correlation tests. While the correlation between numerical and nominal variables was analyzed using the Eta correlation test. A p-value of <0,05 was considered a significant correlation. The cut-off value of serum IL6, CA-125, and HE4 was determined with a ROC curve. The sensitivity and specificity of each clinical parameter were calculated. There was a significant difference in IL-6 (1328 vs 752 pg/ml; p<0,001), CA-125 (1260,5 vs 819,5 U/ml; p<0,001), and HE4 levels (1320 vs 760 pmol/L; p<0,001) between patients with tumor resectability of > 1 cm (suboptimal) vs < 1 cm (optimal). There was a correlation between IL6 (r = 0,832), CA-125 (r = 0,716), and HE4 (r = 0,716) with tumor resectability. Measuring IL6, CA-125, and HE4 levels is useful for clinicians to predict tumor resectability in pre-operative patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

Analysis of the Gynecologic Cancer Surgery with Pre-pandemic Protocols in a COVID-19 Free Cancer Center Gynecologic Cancer Surgery in COVID-19 Free Center

Abstract:&#x0D; Objective: COVID-19 has caused a rapid transformation in the healthcare system, including in particular, the care of vulnerable cancer patients. The aim of this study was to present our clinical experience in gynecological cancer surgeries in a COVID-19-free cancer hospital during the pandemic.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methods: A retrospective analysis was made of the data of patients with ovarian, endometrium, cervix and vulva cancers who were treated with surgery between March 2020 and March 2021, with particular focus on the complication rates on day 30, and at the end of one year. &#x0D; &#x0D; Results: The study included a total of 74 patients with mean age of 59 years. The most common diagnosis was ovarian cancer (48.6%) followed by endometrial (43.2%), cervical (6.8%) and vulvar cancer (1.4%). Most of the patients were in advanced stage (FIGO 3 and 4) of ovarian (86%), endometrial (59.4%) and cervical local advanced (60%) cancer. The complication rate was 17.6 %. Surgery was delayed in one patient with a preoperative positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19 infection, and none of the patients had a positive test result in the early postoperative period. &#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion: COVID-19-free institutions for cancer surgery, is an effective treatment strategy in the context of the pandemic. The results of this study indicate that continuity of cancer treatment can be achieved safely, with strict adherence to COVID-19 precautions for both patients and healthcare workers.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: COVID-19, gynecological cancer, surgery, treatment

OP12.05: Patient satisfaction with ultrasound, CT and WB‐DWI/MRI for preoperative ovarian cancer staging: a multicentre prospective survey

OP12.05: Patient satisfaction with ultrasound, CT and WB‐DWI/MRI for preoperative ovarian cancer staging: a multicentre prospective survey

Comprehensive analysis on the regulation of differentially expressed of mRNA and ncRNA in different ovarian stages of ark shell Scapharca broughtonii

BackgroundOvarian development is an important prerequisite and basis for animal reproduction. In many vertebrates, it is regulated by multiple genes and influenced by sex steroid hormones and environmental factors. However, relative information is limited in shellfish. To explore the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of mRNA and non-coding RNA that regulate ovarian development in Scapharca broughtonii, we performed whole transcriptome sequencing analysis on ovaries at three developmental stages. Furthermore, the biological processes involved in the differential expression of mRNA and ncRNA were analyzed.ResultsA total of 11,342 mRNAs, 6897 lncRNAs, 135 circRNAs, and 275 miRNAs were differentially expressed. By mapping the differentially expressed RNAs from the three developmental stages of Venn diagram, multiple groups of shared mRNAs and lncRNAs were found to be associated with ovarian development, with some mRNA and ncRNA functions associated with steroid hormone. In addition, we constructed and visualized the lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network based on ceRNA targeting relationships.ConclusionsThese findings may facilitate our further understanding the mRNA and ncRNAs roles in the regulation of shellfish reproduction.