Metallothionein in testicular germ cell tumors and drug resistance: Clinical correlation

• Published in: Cancer Vol. 72; no. 10; pp. 3029 - 3035
• Main Authors: Chin, Joseph L., Banerjee, Diponkar, Kadhim, Salam A., Kontozoglou, Theodosios E., Chauvin, Peter J., George Cherian, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 15.11.1993; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cisplatin - therapeutic use; cisplatin therapy; Drug Resistance; Germinoma - chemistry; Germinoma - drug therapy; Germinoma - pathology; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Male genital diseases; Medical sciences; metallothionein; Metallothionein - analysis; Neoplasm Staging; testicular germ cell tumors; Testicular Neoplasms - chemistry; Testicular Neoplasms - drug therapy; Testicular Neoplasms - pathology; Tumors; Antineoplastic agent; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Exploration; Male; Malignant tumor; Testicle; Germ cell tumor; Pathology; Male genital diseases; Negative therapeutic reaction; Testicular diseases; Metallothionein; Platinum II Complexes
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19931115)72:10<3029::AID-CNCR2820721027>3.0.CO;2-6

Background. Metallothioneins (MT) are endogenous metalloproteins involved in the homeostasis of essential metals and detoxification of toxic metals. Some recent experimental studies suggested tumor resistance to cisdiamminedichloroplatin may be associated with overexpression of MT in the tumor. Methods. The presence of MT in 33 primary testicular germ cell tumor specimens was assessed immunohistochemically using a rabbit polyclonal rat liver MT antibody that cross‐reacted with human MT. The data were correlated with the patients' clinical course. Results. Seminomas stained weakly or not at all for MT, regardless of the clinical stage. Most nonseminomas stained heavily for MT. The more advanced staged nonseminomas tended to stain more heavily for MT. Conclusions. In view of the considerable experimental evidence as well as some inferential clinical data involving MT in cis‐diamminedichloroplatin resistance, there appears to be a role for MT in cis‐diamminedichloroplatin resistance in germ cell tumors. Further studies to elucidate the role of MT in germ cell tumor chemoresistance are warranted.