Abstract: Background and purpose: Epithelial ovarian carcinoma is the most malignant tumor in female reproductive system because of its resistance to chemotherapy. Fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase (FBP1) is a rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis used to catalyze the hydrolysis of fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate to fructose-6-phosphate and inorganic phosphate, thereby inhibiting the effect of glycolysis in tumor cells. This study aimed to investigate the association between the expression of FBP1 and chemosensitivity. Methods: The expression level of FBP1 in ovarian cancer patients was measured by immunohistochemistry. Results: According to the results of immunohistochemistry in 209 ovarian carcinoma specimens, the percentage of positive FBP1 expression was about 49.3% (103/209). Loss of FBP1 was a negative factor of survival (42.6 months vs 62.1 months, P=0.003). Besides, patients who were sensitive to chemotherapy displayed significantly higher scores of FBP1 expression than patients who were resistant to therapy (P=0.007). Conclusion: The rate-limiting enzyme FBP1 in gluconeogenesis can be used as a biomarker for predicting the chemoresistance and prognosis of ovarian cancer patients.

Key words: Fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase, Ovarian neoplasms, Cisplatin, Chemosensitivity