EXPRESSION OF ANTIMETASTATIC GENE NM23-H1 IN EPITHELIAL OVARIAN-CANCER

Objective To investigate the expression of nm23-H1 in epithelial ovari an cancer. Methods A total of 55 specimens from patients with epitheli al ovarian cancers, 15 patients with serous cancers, 7 with mucinous c ancers, 17 with endometriord cancers and 16 with adenocarcinomas, were examined for the expression of nm23-H1 by means of the immunohistoche mical technique. Results The total positive rate was 23.64% (13/55). T he tissular nm23-H1 immunostaining had significantly higher expression in mucinous cancer (57.14%) than in other histologic types of epithel ial ovarian cancer (P<0.05). Compared to that in the primary tumor, nm 23-H1 expression in the omental metastatic tumor in the same patient w as reduced. Conclusions The expression rate of nm23-H1 is higher in th e primary tumors than in the metastatic tumors and is different in var ious histologic subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer. The expression of nm23-H1 may participate in the inhibitory process of tumor invasion .