EXPRESSION OF CELL-ADHESION MOLECULES ON OVARIAN TUMOR-CELL LINES ANDMESOTHELIAL CELLS, IN RELATION TO OVARIAN-CANCER METASTASIS

A major route for the spread of ovarian cancer is by the attachment of tumour cells to the mesothelium lining in the peritoneal cavity. The expression of various adhesion molecules has been measured on freshly- prepared mesothelial cells, two mesothelial cells lines and 13 establi shed ovarian tumour cell lines. The integrins beta 1 and beta 3, ICAM- 1, and CD44 were detected on all mesothelial preparations and on many or all of the tumour lines. VCAM-I was expressed exclusively on the me sothelial cells and Lewis x was expressed on half of the tumour lines. There was low or no expression of sialyl Le(x), sialyl Le(a), integri ns alpha 4, beta 1, beta 4, or E and P selectins. Only CD44 expression was significantly affected by trypsin treatment. From the known inter actions of adhesion molecules, the results suggest that CD44, and beta 1 and beta 3 integrins may be important in tumour/mesothelial interac tions.