BIOCHEMICAL-CHARACTERIZATION OF PRIMARY PERITONEAL CARCINOMA CELL-ADHESION, MIGRATION, AND PROTEINASE ACTIVITY

Primary papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum (PPC) is clinical ly and histologically similar to advanced stage epithelial ovarian car cinoma. PPC classically presents with widespread intraperitoneal disse mination, superficial invasion, and minimal ovarian involvement. Surgi cal cytoreduction and combination chemotherapy utilized for patients w ith epithelial ovarian carcinoma have produced varying results for pat ients with PPC, These differences in response may be secondary to the stage of disease or due to biological differences in metastatic behavi or between these carcinomas. In this study, short-term primary culture s of PPC and epithelial ovarian carcinoma (OVCA) were compared to enab le biochemical comparison with respect to components of the metastatic cascade including adhesion, migration, and proteinase activity. These data demonstrated similar properties in adhesive profiles of PPC and OVCA, with preferential adhesion to type I collagen and vitronectin. M atrix-degrading proteinases including matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)- 2, MMP-9, and urinary-type plasminogen activator were produced by both cell types, PPC migration was stimulated by multiple extracellular ma trix proteins, whereas OVCA cells demonstrated maximal migration on ty pe 1 collagen coated surfaces. Together our data suggest biochemical s imilarities between PPC and OVCA with respect to individual components of the metastatic cascade. (C) 1997 Academic Press.