title: Expression of endothelin-1 by adrenocortical carcinoma: a new target for anti-cancer therapy?
abstract: Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare neoplasm with poor prognosis. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated in carcinogenesis, but has never been studied in this neoplasm. A 76-year-old woman with Cushing's syndrome due adrenocortical carcinoma was operated on and the tumour removed was studied by immunohistochemistry for ET-1. Patient history illustrates the poor prognosis of this cancer that became metastatic after one year. Immunohistochemical studies disclosed a strong expression of ET-1 by adrenocortical carcinoma cells. As shown in other cancers, ET-1 expression by adrenocortical carcinoma may suggest a pathogenic role of ET-1 in tumorigenesis that possibly could be countered by ET-1 receptor antagonists. These agents could open new therapeutic perspectives to treat a carcinoma known to have a poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, University Hospital of Mont-Godinne and Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Louvain, Yvoir and Brussels, Belgium. julian.donckier@mint.ucl.ac.be
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Donckier
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delos
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Havaux
mesh_terms: D000306:Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018268:Adrenocortical Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1