Abstract

Heat shock protein (HSP) 27, estradiol (ER), progesterone (PR), isocitric dehydrogenase and DNA-ploidy have been measured in 152 endometrial adenocarcinomas. These parameters have also been related to each other and to tumor grade and overall patient survival. HSP27 was assessed immunohistochemically and ploidy by FACS analysis, whilst biochemical methods were used for the other assays. HSP27 was significantly correlated with ER but not PR, grade or ploidy. Both ER and PR were related to tumor grade but not ploidy. Provera (2–14 days, mean 8) had no apparent effect on HSP27 staining but induced isocitric dehydrogenase in 70% of the tumors. Provera decreased ER (64%) and PR (70%) content in originally positive tumors. The presence of either HSP27, ER or PR in the pretreatment sample was significantly associated with provera induction of isocitric dehydrogenase activity; neither tumor grade nor ploidy predicted for induction of this enzyme. High levels of either HSP27, ER, PR or provera-induced isocitric dehydrogenase and diploid DNA were associated with good overall survival, whereas aneuploidy was linked with poor survival.