title: p53 expression, DNA content and cell proliferation in primary and synchronous metastatic lesions from ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumours.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate biological heterogeneity between primary and metastatic ovarian cancer lesions from individual patients as a means of elucidating steps in clinical progression. Cancer tissue from 61 untreated patients with ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumours was examined. p53 expression detected immunocytochemically by the PAb1801 antibody, DNA content evaluated by flow cytometry, and cell proliferation evaluated as the [3H]thymidine labelling index were investigated in primary tumours and corresponding synchronous metastases. The frequency of p53 positivity was similar in primary (62%) and metastatic (66%) sites, with an agreement between the two lesions from the same patient in 97% of the cases. Similarly, aneuploidy frequency (80%) and DNA indices were superimposable in primary and metastatic lesions from the same patient, with a 94% agreement. The frequency of aneuploidy was higher in p53-positive than in p53-negative lesions. An overall poor agreement (rs = 0.44) was observed for proliferative activity of primary and metastatic lesions, due to a heterogeneous profile in omental with respect to primary tumours, which was mainly evident in p53-positive cancers. Conversely, cell proliferation of peritoneal, abdominal and pelvic lesions was qualitatively similar to that of the primary tumour in 88% of patients.
authors.affiliation: Oncologia Sperimentale C, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Daidone
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valentinis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tomasic
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bolis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silvestrini
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008940:Mitotic Index; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011003:Ploidies; D018312:Sex Cord-Gonadal Stromal Tumors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53