CHARACTERIZATION OF HUMAN OVARIAN EPITHELIAL TUMORS (EX-VIVO) BY PROTON MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1 MRS) offers an alternative investigational modality that will assist current pathologic techniqu es in the diagnosis of human ovarian epithelial tumors. Histologically normal human ovarian tissue (n=12) was compared with ovarian benign f ibromas (n=3) and surface epithelial-stromal tumors (benign, n=18; pro liferating, n = 9; frankly malignant, n = 30) ex vivo by H-1 MRS. The distinction between carcinomatous and benign or normal tissue (P<0.000 1; Student's t-test) was made on one-dimensional (1-D) 1H MR spectra u tilizing differences in resonance intensities of cellular lipid, creat ine/phosphocreatine and lysine. The sensitivity and specificity of the test were 87% and 91%, respectively. Two-dimensional (2-D) MRS of car cinomatous biopsies showed multiple crosspeaks attributable to cell-su rface fucosylation that correlated with tumor grade and loss of cellul ar differentiation. The multiple fucose crosspeaks were absent in spec tra from normal ovary and benign tumors. The distinction between carci nomatous and normal or benign tissue based on MR-visible fucosylation gave a sensitivity and specificity of 88% and 97%, respectively. Proli ferating tumors exhibited a range of cell-surface fucosylation pattern s indicative of malignant potential.