PERITONEAL-FLUID AND HCG INFLUENCE ON STEROID-PRODUCTION FROM OVARIANTUMOR-TISSUE, IN-VITRO

Steroids are produced by malignant and benign epithelial ovarian tumor tissue in vitro, but the regulation is unknown. The effect of periton eal fluid and beta-HCG on steroid production was analysed. Tissue from 17 malignant or benign epithelial ovarian tumors and 6 normal postmen opausal ovaries were incubated. In II cases tissue was incubated with and without addition of the patient's own peritoneal fluid (Part I). T issue from 22 ovaries was incubated with and without HCG (100 IU/ml me dium), (Pa,ic II). Furthermore, the release from tumorous and control ovaries of beta-HCG, progesterone, androstenedione and estradiol measu red using radioimmunoassay (Pal-till). Peritoneal fluid stimulated the release of progesterone from both malignant and benign tissue and and rostenedione or estradiol stimulated release from benign tissue (Part I). There was no stimulatory effect of HCG on steroid release from mal ignant tissue. HCG stimulated release of estradiol in benign tissue (P art II). All malignant tumors and 4 out of 6 benign tumors released be ta-HCG (Part III). There seems to exist factors in peritoneal fluid wh ich are able to stimulate steroid production from ovarian tumors.