Immunohistochemical analysis of glutathione S-transferase mu expression in ovarian tumors.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the association between Glutathione S-transferase (GST) -mu expression and clinicopathologic features in ovarian tumors.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical study was made to investigate GST-mu expression in diverse ovarian tumors.


RESULTS
All 75 ovarian tumors expressed GST-mu. There was no significant association between GST-mu immunopositivity and clinicopathological features. In serous cystadenocarcinoma, however, patients with weak GST-mu expression survived longer than those with moderate or strong GST-mu expression. Three of the 8 tumors that had expressed weak GST-mu initially increased GST-mu expression after chemotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
GST-mu expression is common in ovarian tumors and malignant tumors expressed more GST-mu than benign tumors. GST-mu might play a major role in the development of drug resistance in certain ovarian tumors and could be a useful marker of natural resistance and their future outcome.
Matsumoto
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
Hayase
R
R
Kodama
J
J
Kamimura
S
S
Yoshinouchi
M
M
Kudo
T
T
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology
D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D002945:Cisplatin