Expression of glutathione S-transferase (GST) subtypes in resected lung tumours: Relationship to histological type and proliferation indices

Samples from 19 resected lung tumours have been analysed for the levels of GST α, μ and π mRNA and protein. No significant survival disadvantage was found for patients with tumours containing any of the GST subtypes at the levels of either protein or mRNA. Both GST μ and GST π mRNAs were expressed at significantly higher levels in squamous carcinomas than adenocarcinomas but GST α mRNA was not. The significant increases in expression of μ and π GST in squamous relative to adenocarcinomas of the lung is not related to differences in the proliferation rates between these cancers.