Malignant tumors were 107.3 times more likely to express STAT3, when benign or intermediate tumor is the reference (OR = 107.3, 95% CI: 20.24-569). 24 out of the 48 malignant tumors (50%) and 4 out of the 9 intermediate tumors (44.4%) were pSTAT3 positive. Malignant tumors were 7.5 times more likely to express pSTAT3, when benign or intermediate tumor is the reference (OR = 7.5, 95% CI: 2.28-24.5). This is in agreement with the study by Chun et al [17], were it was observed that STAT3 signaling pathway is constitutively activated in rhabdomyosarcoma and osteosarcoma cells. It has been previously reported that STAT3 is overexpressed in cutaneous angiosarcoma, pyogenic granuloma, Ewing’s sarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma and in primary

effusion lymphomas [18–20]. The other histopathological click here factors associated with STAT3 and pSTAT3 expressions were tumor location (P = 0.025, P = 0.027), plane of the tumor (P = 0.011, P = 0.006) and tumor necrosis (P = 0.001, P = 0.002). Out of 35 tumors in the lower extremities, 27(74.1%) were STAT3 positive and 15(42.9%) were pSTAT3 positive. 12 out of the 14 tumors in the retroperitoneum (85.7%) were STAT3 positive while pSTAT3 positives were 8(57.1%). selleck compound Tumors in the retroperitoneum were more expressive of STAT3 (OR = 9.6, 95% CI: 1.48-62.15) and pSTAT3 (OR = 16, 95% CI: 1.6-159.3) when upper extremity is the reference. Tumor plane exhibited a positive trend with expression of STAT3 and pSTAT3, which were expressed in 51.16% and 18.6% of subcuitis, followed by the muscular plane (78.3% and 47.8%)) and body cavity (87.5% and 56.3%). Odds ratio for the muscular plane is 4.14 (95% CI 1.3-13.2) and body cavity is 8.05(1.62-39.8)

for STAT3 expression. Odds ratio for muscular plane is 4.01(1.31-12.32) and body cavity is 5.6(1.6-19.6) for pSTAT3 when subcuitis as the reference. Out of the 21 tumors, which showed necrosis, 20 were found to be STAT3 positive (95.24%) and 13 were found to be pSTAT3 positive (61.9%). Tumors with necrosis were 18.13 times more likely to express STAT3 (OR = 18.13, FER 95% CI: 2.28-143.6) and 4.98 times more likely to express pSTAT3 (OR = 4.98, 95% CI: 1.7-14.3), when non-necrotic tumors are the reference. In addition, tumor size also exhibited significant association with STAT3 expression (P = 0.003). Tumors greater than 10 cm and less than or equal to 15 cm in size were 19.38 times more likely to express STAT3 when tumors less than 5 cm is the reference (OR = 19.38, 95% CI: 2.25-166.5). We observed that tumors greater than 15 cm in size were 4.57 times more likely to express pSTAT3 when tumors less than 5 cm is the reference (OR = 4.57, 95% CI: 1.18-17.68). Significant association was observed between STAT3 expression and tumor circumscription (P = 0.001). Out of the 44 poorly circumscribed tumors 35 were STAT3 positive (79.55%). But pSTAT3 expression is not associated with tumor circumscription (P = 0.991).