PHOSPHOLIPID METABOLITES, PROGNOSIS AND PROLIFERATION IN HUMAN BREAST-CARCINOMA

The content of the phospholipid metabolites, phosphocholine, phosphoet hanolamine, glycerophosphorylcholine and glycerophosphorylethanolamine was measured in chemical extracts from 46 human breast carcinoma usin g P-31 NMR spectroscopy. Some patients had received therapy prior to t umour resection. The data were therefore stratified into two groups: ( i) all tumours; and (ii) untreated tumours. Three indices of tumour pr oliferation i.e., mitotic index, Ki67 and S-phase fraction were determ ined on tissue from the same tumours and were found not to correlate w ith the content of any of these metabolites. In addition oestrogen-rec eptor status and density, tumour grade and DNA ploidy were obtained on some tumours. The phosphocholine content was higher in high grade tum ours when compared with low grade tumours. There was no apparent relat ionship between DNA ploidy and the content of any of these metabolites . Glycerophosphorylcholine content of oestrogen-receptor positive tumo urs correlated with receptor density. However, there was no significan t difference between receptor positive and negative tumours in the con tent of any of the phospholipid metabolites measured.