• 대한골관절종양학회지
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.9-17
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• 1997

Resistance to combination chemotherapy remains challenge in the treatment of osteosarcoma. One of the mechanisms of multiple drug resistance is an increased expression of the multidrug resistance gene(mdr1). Expression of the P-glycoprotein(mdr-1 gene product) was studied immunohistochemically and the mdr-1 gene by in situ hybridization in 33 osteosarcomas relating to various prognostic factors. Thirty cases out of 33 osteosarcomas(90.9%) showed positive cytoplasmic reactions with P-glycoprotein and nineteen instances(57.6%) were strong positive(2+). The older(>20 years) and female patients revealed more intense immunohistochemical reactions rather than those of the younger and male patients. Osteoblastic and chondroblastic osteosarcomas revealed more strong immunohistochemical reactions compared to fibroblastic types. There were no significant staining differences between the type of bony involvement, Broder's grade and the presence of necrosis. On follow-up, the mean survival rate was decreased in the strong positive group, however, this was not statistically significant. In situ hybridization for mdr-1 gene revealed positive signals in 22 cases out of 29 osteosarcomas(75.9%). Chemotherapy was done in 15 cases out of 28 patients(53.6%). The results of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were not correlated with the protocols for chemotherapy. However, this result should be confirmed by a larger scale study about mdr1 mRNA expression.