A significant correlation between BNIP3, EIF5A2, ELK3, EPS8, FERMT2, HK2, IL-1A, IL-6 and IL-8, and PDK1 expression (P < 0.05) in ovarian cancer clinical samples was found (Fig. 4a, lower right; Supplementary Fig. 6). Here, ELK3 is linked to ovarian cancer.