title: Neural cell adhesion molecule expression in renal cell carcinomas: relation to metastatic behavior.
abstract: Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, is expressed by a subgroup of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) and by a limited number of adult organs, including the central nervous system (CNS) and adrenal gland. Because the major function of NCAM is homophilic adhesion between homotypic and heterotypic cells, we hypothesized that NCAM-expressing RCCs should preferentially metastasize to the CNS and adrenal gland. We did a retrospective immunohistochemical analysis of NCAM expression both in 338 primary renal tumors, including 249 conventional RCCs and 31 metastases of conventional RCCs. In primary renal tumors, NCAM was expressed by only 38 (15.2%) conventional RCCs and by no other histological subtypes of renal tumor. This expression correlated with a higher risk of adrenal and CNS metastases (P <0.001). NCAM expression also correlated with tumor size (P <0.001), renal vein involvement (P = 0.02), perirenal invasion (P = 0.02), and Fuhrman grading (P < 0.001). Finally, patients with NCAM-expressing RCCs had a lower survival rate (P = 0.006), especially in the first 2 years after surgery. NCAM expression is of interest both for evaluating the prognosis of patients with conventional RCCs and for determining a subgroup of patients at high risk for adrenal and CNS metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Center Hospitalier Universitaire, Timone, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bouvier
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chetaille
authors.forename: Joanny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gouvernet
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luccioni
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lechevallier
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Muracciole
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coulange
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Figarella-Branger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules