RESISTANCE PROTEINS IN HUMAN KIDNEY, BREAST, OVARIAN AND LUNG-CARCINOMA - A COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS

The expression of P-glycoprotein (P-170), glutathione S-transferase-pi (GST-pi), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and thymidylate synthase (TS ) was analyzed immunohistochemically in human tumors of different orig in. The resistance proteins were expressed at varying degree: all kidn ey carcinomas (n=25), 40 of 56 non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) (71%), 8 of 15 ovarian carcinomas (53%), 5 of 11 breast carcinomas (46 %) and 3 of 14 small cell lung carcinomas (SCLC) (21%) expressed more than one resistance protein. A comparison of the immunohistochemical d ata with the clinical response rates as reported in literature, demons trates an evident correlation between the number of resistance protein s and the clinical outcome.