Immunolocalization of alpha-amylase in ovarian mucinous tumours.

The distribution of alpha-amylase was studied immunohistochemically in 42 cases of ovarian mucinous tumour. Intense immunoreactivity for amylase was found in 6 of 8 cases of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. In contrast, only 6 of 20 benign mucinous cystadenomas showed immunoreactive amylase, which was weak and patchy. Mucinous cystadenomas of borderline malignancy showed an intermediate degree of amylase immunoreactivity. The patterns seen are very similar to those reported in normal endocervix, cervical glandular atypia, and invasive adenocarcinoma and suggest molecular as well as morphologic similarities in neoplasia at these sites.