Curioni-Fontecedro Alessandra, Soldini D, Seifert B, Eichmueller T, Korol D, Moch H, Weder W and Stahel RA
Knowledge about the biology and prognostic markers of neuroendocrine tumours (NET) of the lungs is scarce. As sex steroids contribute to cell proliferation in various human tissues, we aimed at characterising the expression of steroid receptors in a broad cohort of probes from NET of the lungs and evaluated their possible prognostic impact. A total of 192 tumour specimens of NET of the lungs were collected, with 58 surgical specimens of typical carcinoids, 42 of atypical carcinoids, 32 of large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and 60 of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Analysis by immunohistochemistry for the following antigens was performed: estrogen receptor β (ERβ), ERα, PR (progesterone receptor), AR (androgen receptor), Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1), synaptophysin and for chromograninA. ERβ was found to be expressed in more than 60% of tumor probes. Survival data were available from 126 patients. In SCLC patients a subgroup analysis showed a survival benefit in the group of male patients whose tumours expressed ERβ (p=0.008) and all SCLC patients whose tumours expressed both ERβ and chromograninA (p=0.02). Here we could demonstrate that ERβ expression is frequent through all NET of the lungs. Moreover, our results suggest that ERβ represents a favourable prognostic factor for SCLC male patients and all SCLC patients whose tumors co-expressed chromogranin A.
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