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Detection of chromogranin A mRNA in small cell lung carcinoma using a new, highly sensitive in Situ hybridization method with a non‐radioisotope oligonucleotide probe
Author(s) -
Sumiyoshi Yoshiaki,
Shirakusa Takayuki,
Yamashita Yuichi,
Maekawa Takafumi,
Hideshima Teru,
Sakai Toshimi,
Kawahara Katsunobu,
Kikuchi Masahiro
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19980201)82:3<468::aid-cncr7>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - chromogranin a , in situ hybridization , immunohistochemistry , pathology , messenger rna , adenocarcinoma , lung cancer , carcinoma , oligonucleotide , small cell carcinoma , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer , cancer research , medicine , gene , biochemistry
BACKGROUND Immunoreactivity for chromogranin A (Cg A) is associated with the presence of neurosecretory granules in tumor cells, but immunohistochemical staining for Cg A may be absent in small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), which has only a few secretory granules. Localization of Cg A mRNA is a useful indicator of the site of synthesis of a particular protein and possibly the rate of synthesis, and it is not dependent on posttranslation events within the cells. However, it is difficult to detect the low levels of mRNA copies using the standard non‐radioisotope (RI) oligonucleotide probe. METHODS The authors analyzed Cg A mRNA in 20 cases of SCLC in formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue using a new, highly sensitive in situ hybridization method that was developed from the maximized immunohistochemistry (ImmunoMax) method. They also investigated Cg A mRNA in nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), including ten cases each of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. RESULTS All examined SCLC tissues showed a positive reaction for Cg mRNA. No NSCLC specimens showed any positive reaction for Cg A mRNA. CONCLUSIONS The detection of Cg A mRNA using the new, highly sensitive in situ hybridization method with a non‐RI oligonucleotide probe can be used to characterize neuroendocrine differentiation of lung tumors even when the Cg A protein is not detected by immunohistochemistry. The authors believe this is a first step toward better diagnosis and treatment for patients with SCLC. Cancer 1998;82:468‐73. © 1998 American Cancer Society.