COMPARATIVE-STUDY ON THE EXPRESSION OF STRESS-RESPONSE PROTEIN (SRP) 72, SRP 27, ALPHA-B-CRYSTALLIN AND UBIQUITIN IN BRAIN-TUMORS - AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION

This immunohistochemical study compares the expression of stress-respo nse (heat-shock) protein (srp) 72, srp 27, alphaB-crystallin and ubiqu itin in 86 primary human brain tumours and 21 carcinoma metastases to the central nervous system. Normal brain tissues were included for con trol purposes. Serial sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded ti ssues were used. Most meningiomas (17/23), glioblastomas (11/12) and b reast carcinoma metastases (9/10) and some astrocytomas (7/13), pituit ary tumours (4/9) and lung cancer metastases (5/11) had tumour cells t hat reacted with one or more of the antibodies used. Around 43% of the meningiomas and 25% of the glioblastomas expressed srp 72 only. Sole expression of srp 27, alphaB-crystallin or ubiquitin was seen in sever al tumours. Some meningiomas (3/23) and breast cancer metastases (4/10 ) co-expressed srp 72 and srp 27, and 1/3 of the glioblastomas co-expr essed srp 27 and alphaB-crystallin. We conclude that primary and metas tatic tumours of the brain produce stress-related proteins and that ce rtain tumours concurrently express two or more srp's.