ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The oncogenesis of ovarian cancer is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify mRNAs differentially expressed between moderately and poorly differentiated (MD/PD) serous ovarian carcinomas (SC), serous ovarian borderline tumours (SBOT) and superficial scrapings from normal ovaries (SNO), and to correlate these mRNAs with clinical parameters including survival. METHODS: Differences in mRNA expression between MD/PD SC, SBOT and SNO were analyzed by global gene expression profiling (n?=?23), validated by RT-qPCR (n?=?41) and correlated with clinical parameters. RESULTS: Thirty mRNAs differentially expressed between MD/PD SC, SBOT and SNO were selected from the global gene expression analyses, and 21 were verified (p<0.01) by RT-qPCR. Of these, 13 mRNAs were differentially expressed in MD/PD SC compared with SNO (p<0.01) and were correlated with clinical parameters. ZNF385B was downregulated (FC?=?-130.5, p?=?1.2×10(-7)) and correlated with overall survival (p?=?0.03). VEGFA was upregulated (FC?=?6.1, p?=?6.0×10(-6)) and correlated with progression-free survival (p?=?0.037). Increased levels of TPX2 and FOXM1 mRNAs (FC?=?28.5, p?=?2.7×10(-10) and FC?=?46.2, p?=?5.6×10(-4), respectively) correlated with normalization of CA125 (p?=?0.03 and p?=?0.044, respectively). Furthermore, we present a molecular pathway for MD/PD SC, including VEGFA, FOXM1, TPX2, BIRC5 and TOP2A, all significantly upregulated and directly interacting with TP53. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified 21 mRNAs differentially expressed (p<0.01) between MD/PD SC, SBOT and SNO. Thirteen were differentially expressed in MD/PD SC, including ZNF385B and VEGFA correlating with survival, and FOXM1 and TPX2 with normalization of CA125. We also present a molecular pathway for MD/PD SC.