ABSTRACT

Follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) is expressed not only in granulosa cells of ovary but also in ovarian surface epithelium and in benign and malignant epithelial ovarian cancer. The reason of such expression has remained elusive so far. This transmembrane receptor is involved in G protein linked with signal transduction and causation of neoplasia. All these have lead us to critically assess the mutation and single neucleotide polymorphism of FSHR gene by an extensive search of concerned literatures.

A systematic review of reports from MEDLINE/PUBMED was performed from May ’05 to May ‘06 on the mutation of FSHR gene, their significance in ovarian surface epithelium and ovarian cancer. Many reports were collected from journal and additional reports were perused from the reference lists of retrieved articles.

Expression of FSHR in ovarian surface epithelium is comparatively new finding. Some found mutation in FSHR in granulosa cell tumour and one team could not find any in epithelium ovarian cancer. But single neucleotide polymorphism, though studied extensively in relation to infertility of various reasons, is not looked into in such cancer excepting by a single group of pathologists from Hong Kong.

Keywords: Follicle stimulating hormone receptor gene, point mutation, single neucleotide polymorphism, ovarian surface epithelium, epithelial ovarian cancer, sex cord-stromal tumors