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Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is believed to cause peritoneum dissemination through microenvironmental cell‑to-cell communication between the tumor and mesothelium, leading to the further acquisition of progressive and metastatic potentials. In the present study, we aimed to determine the role of cancer-associated mesothelial cells (CAMCs) in the promotion of tumor neovascularization and vascular permeability via enhanced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production. We examined whether a characteristic morphological change in human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) was observed in the presence of malignant ascites and tumor-derived TGF-β. We focused on the enhanced production of VEGF in CAMCs and its crucial role in endothelial migration and tube formation. Normal HPMCs showed an epithelial morphology with a cobblestone appearance. When HPMCs were co-cultured with malignant ascites from patients with advanced EOC, a dramatic morphologic change was noted from an epithelioid pattern to an α-SMA-positive fibroblastic, mesenchymal pattern. Additionally, we found that EOC-derived TGF-β induced typical EMT-like morphological alteration in HPMCs, which was associated with CAMCs. We further discovered that CAMCs play a crucial role in the enhanced migration and tube formation of endothelial cells by the promotion of VEGF production. In conclusion, our findings indicate the possible involvement of CAMCs in the neovascularization of EOC and enhancement of vascular permeability, resulting in the formation of malignant ascites. The novel mechanism of CAMCs as a facilitator of EOC progression is displayed by microenvironmental cell-to-cell communication between EOC and the mesothelium.

Abstract. Choriocarcinoma is a malignant gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) and one of the curable types of gynecological cancer. However, 10% of choriocarcinoma patients have a poor prognosis, particularly when they have metastasis, apart from pulmonary metastasis, or do not go into remission by the second chemotherapeutic regimen. We herein present the case of a 36-year-old patient who had choriocarcinoma with metastases to the lungs, liver and kidneys. The 5th and 6th regimens with cisplatin for choriocarcinoma failed and the patient developed brain metastases. She was then treated with four cycles of high-dose ifosfamide, carboplatin and etoposide (ICE) with blood progenitor cell support after confirming the effectiveness of ICE at normal doses. The serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level was 140,009 mIU/ml at the start of high-dose ICE and the patient tolerated this regimen well. However, the beneficial effect was decreasing with each successive course of treatment, with the lowest level of hCG at 103 mIU/ml after the fourth course. The patient did not achieve complete remission and succumbed to the disease 4 months after the last chemotherapy. The findings of the present case and a review of the related literature suggest that high-dose ICE with stem cell rescue may be considered as a viable treatment option for a multi-drug resistant choriocarcinoma or GTN.

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