DOES SEX STEROID-RECEPTOR STATUS HAVE ANY PROGNOSTIC OR PREDICTIVE SIGNIFICANCE IN BRAIN ASTROCYTIC TUMORS

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from 90 patients with supratentorial astrocytic brain tumors were immunostained following m icrowave pretreatment using monoclonal antibodies against estrogen rec eptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), and PS2 protein (PS2) and the streptavidin/peroxidase method. The immunohistochemical analysis was scored in a semiquantitative fashion incorporating both the intensity and distribution of specific staining (SCORE) and the immunohistochemi cal results were correlated with histologic grade of tumors and patien t's sex and age. Strong PgR nuclear immunopositivity was observed in 2 7 of 46 (59%) glioblastomas, in 9 of 20 (45%) anaplastic astrocytomas, and in 2 of 24 (8%) astrocytomas. The mean PgR score was 18.5 in glio blastomas, 11.3 in anaplastic astrocytomas, and 0.9 in astrocytomas. T he expression of PgR immunoreactivity appeared to be dependent on the age and independent of the sex of patients. All tumors were negative f or ER and PS2 protein. Normal astrocytes remained consistently negativ e for both sex steroid receptors and PS2. Our findings indicate a cons istent expression of PgR in a number of poorly differentiated tumors i ncluding glioblastomas and anaplastic astrocytomas contrasting with th e low PgR score values found in benign astrocytomas. The absence of ER and PS2 immunoreactivities supports the hypothesis that estrogen rece ptor in astrocytic tumors is probably truncated. However, regional tum or heterogeneity may be a limiting factor for the use of ER, PgR, PS2 immunohistochemistry in the evaluation of routine pathology specimens examination.