Immunohistochemical expression of thrombospondin-1 in invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a multifunctional matricellular glycoprotein involved in several mechanisms critical to the formation and progression of solid tumors including cell adhesion, proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. The present study was designed to investigate the expression of TSP-1 in invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.


METHODS
A total of 75 invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinomas were evaluated for TSP-1 expression by immunohistochemistry. Results were correlated with the clinicopathologic parameters including tumor stage, groin lymph node status, tumor grade, patient's age, patients' disease-free, and overall survival.


RESULTS
TSP-1 expression was detected in 35/75 (46.7%) specimens of invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinomas. The expression of TSP-1 was generally localized to the cytoplasm and occasionally seen in the nucleus. An increased TSP-1 expression was detected in patients with an advanced tumor stage (P = 0.01) and a positive groin lymph nodes status (P = 0.01). Tumor stage and groin lymph node status were associated with patients' disease-free and overall survival. All other parameters failed to be of prognostic significance.


CONCLUSIONS
We are the first to report on the immunohistochemical expression of TSP-1 in invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. Increased TSP-1 expression was associated with an advanced tumor stage and a positive groin lymph node status, suggesting its pro-angiogenic potential in vulvar carcinogenesis.
Tringler
Barbara
B
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Grimm
Christoph
C
Sliutz
Gerhard
G
Leodolter
Sepp
S
Speiser
Paul
P
Reinthaller
Alexander
A
Hefler
Lukas A
LA
D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D019700:Thrombospondin 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D019700:Thrombospondin 1