Monitoring the expression profiles of integrins and adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins in adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas: their ability to regulate tumor adhesiveness to surrounding tissue and their contribution to prognosis.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to identify biological markers that may be involved in the adhesiveness of craniopharyngiomas to optical chiasms and/or pituitary stalks.


METHODS
We determined the complete pattern of integrin expression in three craniopharyngiomas by means of a complementary deoxyribonucleic acid microarray. We quantitatively determined the levels of immunohistochemical expression of the different integrins in a series of 37 cases and the pattern of immunohistochemical expression of 10 extracellular matrix components (acting as integrin ligands) in 7 optical chiasms and 11 pituitary stalks. We also quantitatively (computer-assisted microscopy) determined the levels of immunohistochemical expression of galectin-1, -3, -4, -7, and -8 in 50 adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas.


RESULTS
The present study shows that at both the ribonucleic acid and protein levels, adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas express the alpha2, alpha6, alpha(v), beta1, beta5, and beta8 integrin subunits, whereas optical chiasms and pituitary stalks express vitronectin, thrombospondin, and various forms of collagens.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that at least part of the adhesiveness of craniopharyngiomas to the surrounding tissue, such as optical chiasms and pituitary stalks, could be explained by the interactions between alpha(2beta1) integrin expressed by craniopharyngiomas and collagens on the one hand, and vitronectin expressed by the surrounding tissue on the other hand. In addition, a Cox regression analysis has revealed that the levels of galectin-4 contribute significant information toward the delay in recurrence independently of surgical status.
Lefranc
Florence
F
Department of Neurosurgery, Erasmus University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
Mijatovic
Tatjana
T
Decaestecker
Christine
C
Kaltner
Herbert
H
André
Sabine
S
Brotchi
Jacques
J
Salmon
Isabelle
I
Gabius
Hans-Joachim
HJ
Kiss
Robert
R
D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D037161:Galectins / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D016023:Integrins / Q000235:genetics*; D009897:Optic Chiasm / Q000473:pathology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000473:pathology; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
D037161:Galectins; D016023:Integrins; D012333:RNA, Messenger