Kidney-specific cadherin correlates with the ontogenetic origin of renal cell carcinoma subtypes: an indicator of a malignant potential?

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES:

To evaluate retrospectively kidney-specific cadherin (Ksp-cad) expression in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) subtypes and oncocytoma in correlation with its ontogenetic origin of distal and proximal tubules and to correlate Ksp-cad expression with tumour characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Membranous and cytoplasmic expression of Ksp-cad was determined in 40 clear cell (ccRCC), 25 papillary (pRCC), 19 chromophobe carcinomas (chRCC), 27 oncocytomas (oncocytomas) (n = 111) and 32 benign kidney parenchyma specimens separated in distal tubules (DT) and proximal tubules (PT) by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray technique. Staining intensity was quantified as a score ranging from 0 to 12. Comparison of data and correlation with tumour characteristics were done by Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis tests (post hoc Tukey-Kramer analysis).

RESULTS:

In benign renal tissue, membranous and cytoplasmic expression of Ksp-cad in the DT was significantly higher than that in the PT (12.0 ± 0 vs. 5.2 ± 0.3 and 6.3 ± 0.5 vs. 0.0 ± 0.0, respectively; (P < 0.05)). Membranous KSP-cad expression was significantly higher in chRCC (5.2 ± 0.8) and oncocytomas (3.7 ± 0.4) than that in ccRCC (0.8 ± 0.2) and pRCC (1.4 ± 0.4; P < 0.05), while expression between oncocytomas and chRCC did not differ significantly. In RCC, Ksp-cad expression was significantly associated with higher T stage and the occurrence of synchronous metastasis (P < 0.05). Higher N stages and grading tended to correlate with a lower Ksp-cad expression.

CONCLUSIONS:

In this cohort, the origin of tumour subtypes-chRCC and oncocytomas develop from DT and ccRCC and pRCC from PT cells-is mirrored by the respective Ksp-cad expression. This raises the question whether DT-derived tumours have a less malignant potential than PT-derived tumours.

• Authors: M Horstmann, L M Geiger, U Vogel, H Schmid, J Hennenlotter, U Kuehs, A S Merseburger, S Kruck, A Stenzl, J Bedke
• Journal: World journal of urology (World J Urol) Vol. 30 Issue 4 Pg. 525-31 (Aug 2012) ISSN: 1433-8726 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 21928123 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Cadherins
• K cadherin

Topics

• Adenoma, Oxyphilic (classification, metabolism, pathology)
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Biomarkers, Tumor (metabolism)
• Cadherins (metabolism)
• Carcinoma, Renal Cell (classification, metabolism, pathology)
• Cell Lineage
• Cohort Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Kidney (metabolism, pathology)
• Kidney Neoplasms (classification, metabolism, pathology)
• Kidney Tubules, Distal (metabolism, pathology)
• Kidney Tubules, Proximal (metabolism, pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Staging
• Retrospective Studies
• Severity of Illness Index
• Young Adult