Immunohistochemical TRF1 expression in human primary intracranial tumors.
BACKGROUND
The telomeric-repeat binding factor (TRF1) participates in a physiological homeostatic mechanism controlling telomere shortening by inhibiting telomerase activity: down-regulation of TRF1 expression results in telomere elongation and may be involved in cell immortalization.


METHODS
To determine the TRF1 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in human brain tumors, a cohort of 20 consecutive flash-frozen surgical specimens (14 meningiomas and 6 anaplastic astrocytomas (AA)) were collected.


RESULTS
Variable levels of TRF1 expression in 12 out of the 14 (87.5%) meningioma samples were observed. By contrast, no expression of TRF1 in tissue samples from AA (p = 0.008) was detected. Positive TRF1 cells were usually more differentiated (less atypical features) and Ki67 negative (inverse statistical association, chi2 = p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated, for the first time, that routine IHC techniques are capable of identifying TRF1 expression in intracranial tumors, which is heterogeneously expressed in meningiomas, but absent in AA. Although these preliminary observations need confirmation from larger studies, the TRF1 status in intracranial tumors might become of prognostic value.
Aragona
M
M
Operative Unit of Medical Oncology, University of Messina, School of Medicine, Italy. marcello.aragona@unime.it
De Divitiis
O
O
La Torre
D
D
Panetta
S
S
D'Avella
D
D
Pontoriero
A
A
Morelli
M
M
La Torre
I
I
Tomasello
F
F
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008579:Meningioma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D035321:Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 1
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D035321:Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 1