KALLIKREINS EXPRESSION IN A MATURE CYSTIC OVARIAN TERATOMA

We report an example of benign cystic ovarian teratoma that was incide ntally discovered in a nulliparous 24-year-old woman taking contracept ive pills. Histological examination of the cyst revealed the presence of prostatelike tissue in association with a wide variety cf other tis sues. The use of highly specific monoclonal antibodies developed again st the two prostate-specific kallikreins (hK2 and hK3) in humans allow ed the demonstration that the multiple islets of epithelial cells were prostatic tissue in nature and that only part of these cells had cons erved their intrinsic property of producing kallikreins. (C) 1996 Wile y-Liss, Inc.