title: Expression of c-Met receptor and hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor in synovial sarcoma and epithelioid sarcoma.
abstract: Overexpression of c-Met receptor/hepatocyte growth factor (scatter factor) system (c-Met/HGF/SF) as a physiologically paracrine cellular signaling system is thought to be involved in the progression of malignant tumours. In 26 synovial sarcomas and epithelioid sarcomas, c-Met and HGF/SF expression was analysed immunohistochemically. There were 10 biphasic synovial sarcomas, 7 of which showed moderate to strong c-Met expression in epithelial areas compared with the fibrous component, with corresponding expression of HGF/SF. Six of 9 monophasic fibrous synovial sarcomas showed only very faint c-Met and corresponding HGF/SF expression. In 7 epithelioid sarcomas strong expression of c-Met and HGF/SF was observed within epithelioid tumour cells. Non-radioactive in situ hybridization demonstrated the synthesis of c-Met receptor in tumor cells by detecting c-met-mRNA. This analysis shows that in synovial sarcomas and epithelioid sarcomas, tumour entities with epithelial and mesenchymal structures, c-Met and HGF/SF overexpression can be detected, indicating a role of this signaling system in these subtypes of sarcoma, and especially in the more epithelioid tumour phenotype. An autocrine interaction between overexpressed c-Met receptor and HGF/SF may be hypothesized.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuhnen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tolnay
authors.forename: H U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Steinau
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D013584:Sarcoma, Synovial / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met