title: Expression of syndecan-1 (CD138) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma is correlated with advanced stage and poor prognosis.
abstract: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an important Epstein-Barr virus-associated head and neck malignancy in Taiwan. Syndecan-1 (CD138) is involved in growth, differentiation, invasiveness, and metastatic potential of certain tumors, but its expression in NPC has never been studied. In this study, detection of expression of syndecan-1 protein and Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) in primary, recurrent, and metastatic NPC specimens in paraffin sections was performed by immunohistochemistry. The quantity of syndecan-1 messenger RNA in tumor cells was investigated by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction using laser capture microdissection. The results of immunohistochemical staining of syndecan-1 and LMP-1 correlated with clinicopathologic features of NPC. Eighteen (20.9%) of 86 primary, 9 (24.3%) of 37 recurrent, and 15 (44.1%) of 34 metastatic NPC samples were positive for syndecan-1, and 37 (43.0%) primary, 18 (48.6%) recurrent, and 12 (35.3%) metastatic samples were positive for LMP-1 expression. Primary NPCs with syndecan-1 protein expression were more frequently associated with advanced clinical stages and worse 5-year survival rates than those without (P = .015 and P = .0021, respectively). Conversely, the LMP-1 expression did not correlate with tumor stage or prognosis but occurred more often in nonkeratinizing carcinoma than keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (unpublished observation). The inverse expression of syndecan-1 and LMP-1 was noted in primary NPC specimens (total 4/18 versus 35/68, P = .05). The reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction revealed low syndecan-1 messenger RNA levels in both primary and metastatic NPC. In conclusion, the protein expression of syndecan-1 in 21% of primary NPC was associated with advanced disease and poor prognosis, and the protein expression correlated with transcription levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Hospital and Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan. chencl@tmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Chi-Long
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Da-Liang
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Ou
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D015870:Gene Expression; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D053668:Syndecan-1; D053667:Syndecans; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; C508241:SDC1 protein, human; D053668:Syndecan-1; D053667:Syndecans; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins