Expression of Fas and FasL in human serous ovarian epithelial tumors

The expression of Fas and FasL was studied in 86 patients with benign, borderline, and malignant serous ovarian lesions. Four normal ovaries, and monolayer epithelial cultures from a human fetal ovary, a borderline, and a serous adenocarcinoma were used for comparison. Expression of Fas and FasL was studied immunohistochemically and flowcytometrically. Fas was expressed in all 90 lesions; FasL in 57 lesions, including 2 normal ovaries. Fas expression was significantly increased in borderline tumors compared with benign (P = 0.005, t = -2.94) or malignant serous tumors (P = 0.0001, t = 4.15). FasL expression was significantly increased in malignant tumors compared with benign (P = 0.039, t = -2.10) and borderline tumors (P = 0.0016, t = -3.33). Flow cytometry showed a range of Fas expression in short-term cultures isolated from normal, borderline, and malignant ovarian serous tissue; in the few samples studied, FasL was not expressed. Expression in three serous ovarian cell lines was similar. Fas and FasL expression differed throughout the spectrum of ovarian lesions. FasL expression was increased in malignant tumors, and Fas expression was increased in borderline tumors. Changes in Fas/FasL expression in ovarian surface epithelium might play a functional role in the biology of ovarian tumors.