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Over‐expression of tenascin‐C in malignant pleural mesothelioma
Author(s) -
KaarteenahoWiik R,
Soini Y,
Pöllänen R,
Pääkkö P,
Kinnula V L
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
histopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.626
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1365-2559
pISSN - 0309-0167
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2559.2003.01568.x
Subject(s) - tenascin c , tenascin , mesothelioma , extracellular matrix , immunohistochemistry , pathology , medicine , in situ hybridization , pleural disease , cancer research , fibronectin , biology , messenger rna , respiratory disease , lung , biochemistry , gene , microbiology and biotechnology
Aims: Tenascin‐C is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein known to have anti‐adhesive characteristics and to be expressed in various human malignant neoplasms. We hypothesized that the expression of tenascin‐C would be increased in human malignant pleural mesothelioma, and its accumulation associated with the prognosis of the patients with this disease. Methods and results: Thirty‐seven cases of mesothelioma were studied by immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody against tenascin‐C, and with a semiquantitative scoring system for tenascin‐C in different areas of the tumours. In 10 selected cases tenascin‐C mRNA in‐situ hybridization was also analysed. Since transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β) is known to induce both the synthesis of tenascin‐C and the growth of mesotheliomas, an immunohistochemical analysis of TGF‐β1, ‐β2 and ‐β3 was also performed. Normal pleura ( n = 7) and metastatic pleural adenocarcinomas ( n = 7) were used as controls. Tenascin‐C protein was expressed in every histological subtype of malignant mesothelioma, being most prominent in the fibrotic stroma of a tumour, around tumour cells and at the invasive border, whereas tenascin‐C mRNA was scarce in tumour cells. The patients with less immunohistochemical expression for tenascin‐C tended to live longer ( P = 0.028 by Fishers' exact probability test). All mesotheliomas showed positivity for at least one isoform of TGF‐β. Conclusions: In conclusion, high expression of tenascin‐C protein in malignant pleural mesotheliomas may play a role in its invasive growth, and might serve as a prognostic marker of the disease.