Correlation between tumor histology, steroid receptor status, and adenosine deaminase complexing protein immunoreactivity in ovarian cancer.

Adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP) immunoreactivity was investigated in 40 ovarian tumors and correlated with clinicopathologic parameters, including tumor steroid receptor content. Ten (29%) of 34 common epithelial ovarian carcinomas showed ADCP reactivity. Reactivity for ADCP was seen more frequently in mucinous (100%; p less than 0.001), well-differentiated (73%; p less than 0.001) and Stage I (56%; p less than 0.05) ovarian carcinomas. Furthermore, tumors that contained high levels of androgen receptors and tumors that did not contain estrogen receptors were more frequently ADCP positive (p less than 0.05). However, after stratifying for histologic grade, no correlation between ADCP reactivity and receptor status was found. Determination of ADCP reactivity appears to be of limited value in ovarian cancer.