Abundant immunohistochemical expression of dopamine D2 receptor and p53 protein in meningiomas: follow-up,relation to gender,age, tumor grade,and recurrence

Meningiomas are common, usually benign tumors, with a high postoperative recurrencerate. However, the genesis and development of these tumors remain controversial. Weaimed to investigate the presence and implications of a mutated p53 protein anddopamine D₂ receptor in a representative series of meningiomas and tocorrelate these findings with age, gender, tumor grade, and recurrence. Tumor tissuesamples of 157 patients diagnosed with meningioma (37 males and 120 females, mean age53.6±14.3 years) who underwent surgical resection between 2003 and 2012 at ourinstitution were immunohistochemically evaluated for the presence of p53 protein anddopamine D₂ receptor and were followed-up to analyze tumor recurrence orregrowth. Tumors were classified as grades I (n=141, 89.8%), II (n=13, 8.3%), orgrade III (n=3, 1.9%). Dopamine D₂ receptor and p53 protein expressionwere positive in 93.6% and 49.7% of the cases, respectively. Neither of the markersshowed significant expression differences among different tumor grades or recurrenceor regrowth statuses. Our findings highlight the potential role of p53 protein inmeningioma development and/or progression. The high positivity of dopamineD₂ receptor observed in this study warrants further investigation ofthe therapeutic potential of dopamine agonists in the evolution of meningiomas.