Expression profiling of renal epithelial neoplasms: a method for tumor classification and discovery of diagnostic molecular markers

The expression patterns of 7075 genes were analyzed in four conventional (clear cell) renal cell carcinomas (RCC), one chromophobe RCC, and two oncocytomas using cDNA microarrays. Expression profiles were compared among tumors using various clustering algorithms, thereby separating the tumors into two categories consistent with corresponding histopathological diagnoses. Specifically, conventional RCCs were distinguished from chromophobe RCC/oncocytomas based on large-scale gene expression patterns. Chromophobe RCC/oncocytomas displayed similar expression profiles, including genes involved with oxidative phosphorylation and genes expressed normally by distal nephron, consistent with the mitochondrion-rich morphology of these tumors and the theory that both lesions are related histogenetically to distal nephron epithelium. Conventional RCCs underexpressed mitochondrial and distal nephron genes, and were further distinguished from chromophobe RCC/oncocytomas by overexpression of vimentin and class II major histocompatibility complex-related molecules. Novel, tumor-specific expression of four genes-vimentin, class II major histocompatibility complex-associated invariant chain (CD74), parvalbumin, and galectin-3-was confirmed in an independent tumor series by immunohistochemistry. Vimentin was a sensitive, specific marker for conventional RCCs, and parvalbumin was detected primarily in chromophobe RCC/oncocytomas. In conclusion, histopathological subtypes of renal epithelial neoplasia were characterized by distinct patterns of gene expression. Expression patterns were useful for identifying novel molecular markers with potential diagnostic utility.     

Overexpression of the myc target gene Mina53 in advanced renal cell carcinoma

The myc target gene Mina53 was reported to be overexpressed in esophageal cancer with a poor prognosis. The purpose of the present study was to examined Mina53 expression and its relationship to clinicopathological parameters in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Mina53 and Ki-67 expression was examined on immunohistochemistry for 64 surgically resected RCC and non-cancerous tissue. In addition, the relationship between Mina53 expression and clinicopathological prognostic factors of RCC such as age, stage, microvenous invasion (MVI), histological subtype, Ki-67 labeling index (LI), and prognosis, was examined. Mina53 was expressed in the nuclei of tumor cells and tubular nuclei of normal renal tissue. The expression level of Mina53 was significantly higher in patients with poor prognostic factors (stage IV, MVI-positive, and sarcomatoid RCC, and high Ki-67 LI). The prognosis of high Mina53-expressing tumors was significantly poorer than that of non-Mina53-high tumors (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, Mina53 is overexpressed in RCC tissue from patients with poor prognostic factors, suggesting that Mina53 overexpression is one of the factors for poor prognosis in RCC.     

肾细胞癌中c-erbB-2表达及其意义

目的子研究c—erbB-2在肾细胞癌中的表达及其与临床分期、病理分型、病理分级和预后的关系。方法 应用免疫组化S-P法分别用鼠抗人c-erbB-2胞内段单克隆抗体(CB11)和鼠抗人c-erbB-2胞外段单克隆抗体(9G6．10)检测77例肾细胞癌及相应癌旁肾组织c—erbB-2蛋白表达。应用RT-PCR方法检测10例新鲜肾癌组织及癌旁正常组织c—erbB-2 mRNA的表达。透明细胞癌、颗粒细胞癌及乳头状肾细胞癌c—erbB-2的表达分别为68．2％、93．1％及75．0％。结果 77例肾癌组织CB11和9G6．10的阳性率分别为61%(47／77)和45．5%(35／77)；二者联合检测总阳性率为77．9％(60／77)。透明细胞癌、颗粒细胞癌及乳头状肾细胞癌c—erbB-2的表达分别为68．9％、92．9％及75%。RT-PCR检测新鲜肾癌组织c—erbB-2mRNA的阳性率为100％(10／10)。结论 肾癌中c—erbB-2蛋白及c—erbB-2mRNA均过表达。不同的肾癌病理类型c—erbB-2蛋白表达不同，颗粒细胞癌表达最高。c—erbB-2在肾癌的不同临床分期均过表达，说明可能在病变的早期c—erbB-2已经发生改变。c-erbB-2的表达与临床分期及肿瘤分级无明显相关性。     

肾脏特异性钙黏蛋白在肾上皮性肿瘤的表达及其临床病理意义

目的探讨肾脏特异性钙黏蛋白（Ksp—cadherin）的新抗体在肾细胞癌和肾嗜酸细胞腺瘤中的表达意义。方法收集166例肾脏肿瘤标本,其中肾原发性透明细胞癌120例、乳头状肾细胞癌20例（I型乳头状肾细胞癌15例,Ⅱ型乳头状肾细胞癌5例）、嫌色细胞癌18例、嗜酸细胞腺瘤8例。使用Ksp—cadherin、CD10、波形蛋白、上皮细胞膜抗原（EMA）、CK7进行免疫组织化学（EnVision法）染色。结果Ksp-cadherin的表达率分别是透明细胞癌23％（27／120）,乳头状肾细胞癌20％（4／20）,嫌色细胞癌18／18,嗜酸细胞腺瘤6／8。CD10、波形蛋白在透明细胞癌和乳头状肾细胞癌有高表达,CK7主要表达于嫌色细胞癌和乳头状肾细胞癌,EMA在这4种肿瘤均有高表达。此外,CDl0在肾嫌色细胞癌中也有表达,但其表达于胞质,而在其他肿瘤的表达在细胞膜。Ksp—cadherin在肾透明细胞癌的表达程度与其分期分级呈正相关。结论Ksp—cadherin局限表达于远端肾小管及其起源的肾脏肿瘤。在嫌色细胞癌和嗜酸细胞腺瘤中有高度的特异和敏感性,在透明细胞癌中的表达和分期分级有关,在肾脏常见的上皮性肿瘤中具有鉴别诊断和预后价值。     

用基因芯片研究人肺癌转移相关基因

目的 自制肿瘤转移相关基因芯片研究人肺癌高、低转移细胞系PG和PAa间以及肺癌、淋巴结转移癌与正常肺组织间的基因表达谱差异，筛选与肺癌转移相关的特异基因。方法 提取2种肺癌细胞系、人肺癌、淋巴结转移癌及周围正常肺组织的mRNA后逆转录标记cDNA探针，与自制的含399个肿瘤转移相关基因的微阵列膜杂交，QuantArray软件分析杂交信号强度获得差异表达基因。结果 正常肺组织与肺原发癌的基因表达谱有显著差异。淋巴结转移癌组织与PG高转移细胞系表达基因行聚类分析，共同表达且最具统计学意义的基因有64个，包括上调基因27个，下调基因37个。结论 多基因参与肺癌的转移过程，肺转移癌与高转移细胞系共同差异表达的基因可能与肺癌的高转移特性密切相关。     

Prognostic significance of vimentin positivity in formalin-fixed renal cell carcinomas

The aim of the present study was to determine whether vimentin immunoreactivity was of prognostic relevance using the PAP-method on formalin-fixed tissue from 94 renal cell carcinomas (RCC). The vimentin expression was compared with tumour stage, histological grade of malignancy, and survival data. In 28 cases (30%), the tumour cells showed a vimentin positivity. This group showed a more unfavourable prognosis than the vimentin-negative group. Differences were also seen in stage T 3 tumours. The percentages of vimentin-positive cases increased with the grade of malignancy. Vimentin-positive cases showed a particularly unfavourable course in the G 3-group of carcinomas. In individual cases, the prognostic value of vimentin expression is limited by a decreased sensitivity and specificity. In addition, the presence of immunoreactivity apparently is not independent of conventional histological criteria of tumour grading.     

Expression of serine protease matriptase in renal cell carcinoma: correlation of tissue microarray immunohistochemical expression analysis results with clinicopathological parameters

Serine protease matriptase (matriptase) cleaves and activates proteins implicated in the progression of cancer and represents a potential therapeutic target. Immunohistochemical analysis of matriptase was performed in tissue microarrays of 168 renal cell carcinomas (RCCs). All subtypes of RCC showed significant immunohistochemical expression of matriptase. In contrast, no expression occurred in areas of RCC with sarcomatous differentiation (SRCC) and in normal collecting tubules. The matriptase scores were significantly higher in papillary RCC (341+/-28) and clear cell RCC with granular cell differentiation (GRCC; 324+/-27) than in other histologic subtypes of RCC. In GRCC, matriptase scores were correlated with TNM staging and nuclear grading. Matriptase was overexpressed in all subtypes of RCC, and matriptase scores could distinguish between conventional clear cell RCC, GRCC, and SRCC.     

Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma: an immunohistochemical study of 21 Japanese cases.

Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a newly established category of RCC composed histologically of characteristic "chromophobe" tumor cells. Although ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies showed that these tumor cells present several features similar to those found in the intercalated cells of the collecting duct, immunohistochemical studies using antibody panels on a large number of cases are limited. We performed an immunohistochemical study of 21 Japanese cases of chromophobe RCC, along with cases of clear RCC and renal oncocytoma, to find hallmarks useful for precise differential diagnosis of these tumors. Chromophobe RCC was positive for epithelial membrane antigen but negative for vimentin. Cytokeratins did not show constant immunoreactivity in the three types of renal tumors. Furthermore, all of the chromophobe RCCs and renal oncocytomas were positive for E-cadherin but not for N-cadherin, whereas all of the clear RCCs were negative for E-cadherin, and 58% were positive for N-cadherin. The Ki-67 labeling indices were significantly lower in cases classified as (pT1) or Grade 2 chromophobe RCC than in cases of clear RCC. Immunoreaction for E-cadherin was demonstrated to be useful for distinguishing chromophobe RCC from clear RCC, and a low Ki-67 labeling index might indicate a favorable prognosis, as reported in several previous studies.     

UBE2QL1 is Disrupted by a Constitutional Translocation Associated with Renal Tumor Predisposition and is a Novel Candidate Renal Tumor Suppressor Gene

Investigation of rare familial forms of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has led to the identification of genes such as VHL and MET that are also implicated in the pathogenesis of sporadic RCC. In order to identify a novel candidate renal tumor suppressor gene, we characterized the breakpoints of a constitutional balanced translocation, t(5;19)(p15.3;q12), associated with familial RCC and found that a previously uncharacterized gene UBE2QL1 was disrupted by the chromosome 5 breakpoint. UBE2QL1 mRNA expression was downregulated in 78.6% of sporadic RCC and, although no intragenic mutations were detected, gene deletions and promoter region hypermethylation were detected in 17.3% and 20.3%, respectively, of sporadic RCC. Reexpression of UBE2QL1 in a deficient RCC cell line suppressed anchorage‐independent growth. UBE2QL1 shows homology to the E2 class of ubiquitin conjugating enzymes and we found that (1) UBE2QL1 possesses an active‐site cysteine (C88) that is monoubiquitinated in vivo, and (2) UBE2QL1 interacts with FBXW7 (an F box protein providing substrate recognition to the SCF E3 ubiquitin ligase) and facilitates the degradation of the known FBXW7 targets, CCNE1 and mTOR. These findings suggest UBE2QL1 as a novel candidate renal tumor suppressor gene.     

Identification of protein pattern in kidney cancer using ProteinChip arrays and bioinformatics

Tumor biology of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is not very well understood, although many studies on molecular and cellular biology have been performed. It is accepted now that cancer research has to be performed also with proteomic tools, because proteins are the real actors in the genesis and progression of cancer. Therefore, we used a ProteinChip System(R) (SELDI) which is able to detect minute amounts of protein and moreover to analyze a complex protein pattern. We analyzed 37 cases of clear cell RCC as a training set including corresponding normal tissue. From all samples protein lysates were made and spotted directly on different chip surfaces (SAX2, WCX). After a washing procedure the arrays were analyzed in the ProteinChip Reader. All profiles were subjected to a bioinformatical analysis including normalization, clustering, rule extraction and rating. Defined rules (markers) were evaluated using a test set of 24 samples (13 tumor tissues and 11 normal kidney tissues). The generated rule base for the SAX2 surface showed a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97.3%. For the WCX arrays the optimal rule base showed worse results. A combined rule base for SAX2 and WCX did not result in a higher sensitivity or specificity. Using the optimal rule base for the SAX2 chip in the test set, sensitivity and specificity reached 76.9% and 100%, respectively. The ProteinChip System represents a key technology for the rapid detection of cancer specific proteomic patterns. It is possible to identify clear cell renal cancer with high sensitivity and specificity from minimal amounts of cells.     

Analysis of insulin-like growth factors and insulin-like growth factor I receptor expression in renal cell carcinoma

The expression of insulin-like growth factors I (IGF-I) and II (IGF-II) and insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) was studied in 137 clear cell, 23 chromophobe, and 20 papillary renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) using a tissue microarray technique. IGF-I immunoreactivity was detected in 110 (82.1%) of 134 clear cell, 8 (36%) of 22 chromophobe, and 3 (15%) of 20 papillary RCCs (P < .001). IGF-IR immunoreactivity was detected in 39 (29.5%) of 132 clear cell, 9 (41%) of 22 chromophobe, and 19 (95%) of 20 papillary RCCs (P < .001). In contrast, all tumors lacked IGF-II expression. Expression of IGF-I and IGF-IR was not related to tumor stage, grade, or prognosis. The IGF system is expressed differentially among different tumor types. The expression of IGF-I together with its receptor, IGF-IR, provides evidence for the existence of an autocrine-paracrine loop of tumor cell stimulation in RCC and makes this type of cancer a candidate for therapeutic strategies aimed to interfere with the IGF pathway.     

食管癌及癌旁组织中基因表达的初步研究

目的　了解食管癌的基因表达概况,寻找在食管癌及癌旁组织中差异表达基因。方法　以癌及癌旁组织ｐｏｌｙ Ａ＋ Ｒ Ｎ Ａ 反转录合成的ｃ Ｄ Ｎ Ａ 为探针,与 Ａｔｌａｓ 微点阵表达分析膜进行差异杂交。结果放射自显影结果显示在所分析的５８８ 种已知基因中,ｃｄｃ２５ Ｂ、 Ｍ Ｍ Ｐ、 Ｍ Ｅ Ｔ 等６１ 个在食管癌组织中表达上调,ｃｙｔｏｋｅｒａｔｉｎ ４ 、 Ｂ Ａ Ｄ、 Ｉ Ｌ１ Ｒ Ｅ Ｃ Ｅ Ｐ Ｔ Ｏ Ｒ Ａ Ｎ Ｔ Ａ Ｇ Ｏ Ｎ Ｉ Ｓ Ｔ、 Ｉ Ｌ６ 等２２ 个表达下调,参与细胞增殖、凋亡、分化和转移调控的多种基因的表达水平发生了明显改变。结论　这些基因的表达改变组成了一个食管癌特异的基因表达谱,首次为食管癌细胞的恶性表型提供了分子遗传学参考数据,一些与肿瘤发生相关的差异表达基因为发展生物标记物或肿瘤早期诊断和治疗提供了线索。 Ａｔｌａｓ 微点阵表达分析滤膜的差异杂交为初步了解某一组织或细胞的表达状况提供了一个较好的方法。     

Expression of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in renal cell carcinoma; immunohistochemical study

Background and aimsGalectins comprise a large family of calcium independent lectins. Galectin-1 and galectin-3 contribute to neoplastic transformation, angiogenesis, and tumor metastasis in some cancers. This study aimed at studying the immunohistochemical expression of both galectin-1 and galectin-3 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) variants and detecting the possible association of galectins with various clinicopathological parameters.Materials and methodsSections from 67 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of RCC variants were stained with galectin-1 and galectin-3. Expression was assessed in tumor tissue and adjacent renal parenchyma and was correlated with clinicopathological criteria.ResultsIn apparently normal renal parenchyma adjacent to tumor tissue, galectin-1 was expressed in 27 (40.2%) of specimens in renal tubules and glomeruli, while 34 (50.7%) of specimens showed galectin-3 expression in renal tubules sparing glomeruli. In tumor tissue, galectin-1 showed high expression in 47 (70.1%) and low expression in 20 (29.9%) of specimens. Galectin-3 had high expression in 15 (22.4%) and low expression in 52 (77.6%) of specimens. Significant association was detected between expression of galectin-1 and galectin-3 and the type of RCC (P = 0.032) and (P = 0.006), respectively. Significant inverse association was detected between the expression of galectin-3 and the presence of tumor haemorrhage and necrosis (P = 0.014) and (P = 0.039), respectively.ConclusionGalectin-1 and galectin-3 are overexpressed in RCC with different percentage in different subtypes. Galactin-1expression is more in tumor tissue than surrounding renal parenchyma suggesting that it has a carcinogenic role. Galectin-1 and galectin-3 overexpression in chromophobe RCC suggests that they may have diagnostic role.     

C-kit expression in renal oncocytomas and chromophobe renal cell carcinomas

C- kit encodes the membrane-bound tyrosine kinase KIT, whose expression has been identified in several types of human neoplasms. Recently, KIT has been reported to be a marker for chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and renal angiomyolipoma. However, expression of this molecule has not been adequately studied in other renal tumors, particularly oncocytoma, which may morphologically resemble chromophobe RCC. In this study, we analyzed c- kit messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in 17 chromophobe RCCs and 20 renal oncocytomas obtained from complementary DNA (cDNA) microarrays. Furthermore, comprehensive immunohistochemical analysis of KIT protein using a monoclonal antibody was performed in 226 renal tumors including chromophobe RCC (n=40), oncocytoma (n=41), clear-cell RCC (n=40), renal angiomyolipoma (n=29), and papillary RCC (n=21) on tissue microarrays (TMAs) and was compared with immunostaining results from 25 chromophobe RCCs and 30 oncocytomas using standard sections. The staining intensity was semiquantitatively graded on a 3-tier scoring system. All chromophobe RCCs and oncocytomas showed significant overexpression of c- kit mRNA. The average increase of mRNA compared with normal kidney tissue was 7.4-fold for chromophobe RCCs and 7.4-fold for oncocytomas. Immunohistochemical expression of KIT was found in most chromophobe RCCs (95% in TMAs and 96% in conventional sections) and oncocytomas (88% in TMAs and 100% in conventional sections) but was infrequently observed in renal angiomyolipomas (17%), papillary RCCs (5%), and clear-cell RCCs (3%). Furthermore, the average KIT immunoreactivity in TMAs was stronger in chromophobe RCC (1.93) and oncocytoma (2.07) than in other subtypes of renal tumors tested, including angiomyolipomas (0.17), papillary RCCs (0.05), and clear-cell RCCs (0.03). In conclusion, we found a significant elevation of c- kit mRNA by cDNA expression microarrays and overexpression of KIT protein by immunohistochemistry not only in chromophobe RCCs but also in oncocytomas. In contrast, immunohistochemical expression of KIT was not detected in most other types of renal cell tumors evaluated. The differential expression of c- kit in these renal tumors may have diagnostic and therapeutic implications.