ANDROGEN RECEPTORS IN OVARIAN-TUMORS - CORRELATION WITH ESTROGEN AND PROGESTERONE RECEPTORS IN AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL AND SEMIQUANTITATIVE IMAGE-ANALYSIS STUDY

The expression and distribution of androgen, estrogen and progesterone receptors was examined by immunohistochemical staining in 31 paraffin -embedded sections from ovarian tumors and the results were assessed b y semiquantitative image analysis. Immunohistochemical staining showed heterogeneous patterns of steroid receptor distribution, with mainly nuclear immunoreactivity. Eighty-four percent of benign and malignant ovarian tumors expressed androgen receptors (AR), 74.19% estrogen rece ptors (ER) and 41.16% progesterone receptors (PR). All benign tumors s howed immunoreactivity for the three steroid receptors. Malignant tumo rs expressed higher AR and ER histochemical scores (H-scores) than PR (82% vs 71% vs 39%). The incidence and expression levels of the steroi d receptors varied widely in the differ ent histological types of mali gnant tumors. Spearman rank analysis showed a positive significant (P < 0.05)correlation between AR- and ER and between ER- and PR-H-scores, In malignant ovarian tumors, neither AR, ER nor PR immunohistochemica l scores correlated with tumor FIGO stage.Densitrometric analysis of i mmunostained steroid receptors is a valid method for assessing the ste roid status, because it reduces subjective elements in scoring section s and increases the reliability of results. The high incidence of AR e xpression confirms the functional role of AR in ovarian tumors and sug gests that the determination of AR content in ovarian cancer could hav e prognostic value.