Expression of c-MET, low-molecular-weight cytokeratin, matrix metalloproteinases-1 and -2 in spinal chordoma |
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Authors: | Takahiko Naka Carsten Boltze Amir Samii Madjid Samii Christian Herold Helmut Ostertag Yukihide Iwamoto Yoshinao Oda Masazumi Tsuneyoshi Doerthe Kuester & Albert Roessner |
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Institution: | Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Magdeburg University, Magdeburg;, Department of Neurosurgery, International Neuroscience Institute;and Department of Pathology, Nordstadt Medical Centre, Clinic of Hanover, Hanover, Germany;, and Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery;and Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan |
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Abstract: | Aims: In skull base chordoma, c-MET expression has been reported to correlate with younger patient age and favourable prognosis; however, it also contributes to tumour invasiveness, especially in recurrent lesions, suggesting variable roles for c-MET according to clinical status. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of c-MET expression in spinal chordoma, which affects patients who are 10–20 years older than those with skull base chordoma. Methods and results: Using immunohistochemical techniques, the expression of c-MET and its ligand, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was investigated in 34 primary spinal chordomas and compared with other clinicopathological parameters. Expression of c-MET and HGF was observed in 85.3 and 21.7% of lesions, respectively. c-MET expression correlated with the expression of an epithelial marker, low-molecular-weight cytokeratin (CAM5.2). Lesions with higher c-MET expression showed significantly stronger expression of proteinases, including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-2. However, c-MET expression was not associated with patient age, proliferative ability estimated by MIB-1 labelling index, or prognosis. Conclusions: c-MET expression was observed in most spinal chordomas and correlated with the expression of CAM5.2, suggesting a relationship to an epithelial phenotype. |
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Keywords: | c-MET chordoma cytokeratin hepatocyte growth factor proteinase |
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