Expression of nm23 protein in human osteosarcoma in relationship with early metastasis

Nm23 protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections from 39 cases with osteosarcomas and compared with the histologic findings and early metastasis for the pur pose of detecting nm23 expression in osteosarcoma and elucidating the clini cal significance of its expression. Immunoreactivity of nm23 protein was de tected in 48.7% of the total cases. There was no statistical difference bet ween nm23 expression and early metastasis, but there was a; trend for cases with nm23 expression to progress to early metastasis within 1 year after o peration. The role of nm23 as a tumor metastasis suppressor in osteosarcoma s appeared less prominent.