title: Lack of expression of c-kit protein (CD117) in mesenchymal tumors of the uterus and ovary.
abstract: c-kit is a proto-oncogene that codes for a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor (CD117). The gene product KIT is constitutively overexpressed in mastocytosis and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Recently the use of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as STI-571, has resulted in the successful treatment of bcr-abl-positive leukemias and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. In gastrointestinal stromal tumors, immunostaining for c-kit is diffusely positive. Because the expression of c-kit in mesenchymal tumors of the uterus and ovary has not been previously studied, we evaluated its expression in 38 of these tumors by immunohistochemistry. The number of positive labeled/total tumors were as follows: 0/8 malignant mullerian mixed tumors, 4/7 ovarian fibrosarcomas, 0/1 clear-cell ovarian sarcoma, 0/4 uterine leiomyosarcomas, 1/10 low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas, 0/2 high-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas, and 3/6 endometrial stromal nodules. In all positive cases, no more than 5% of the cells were labeled. In conclusion, unlike gastrointestinal stromal tumors, mesenchymal tumors of the uterus and ovary rarely express c-kit. Therefore, it is unlikely that patients with these tumors will benefit from treatment with the currently available tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology,The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Walter M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kurman
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000473:pathology; D018200:Mixed Tumor, Mullerian / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018227:Sarcoma, Clear Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018203:Sarcoma, Endometrial Stromal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit