Active caspase 3 and DNA fragmentation as markers for apoptotic cell death in primary and metastatic liver tumours.
OBJECTIVE
The induction of tumour cell death by apoptosis is a major goal of cancer therapy and the in situ detection of apoptosis in tumour tissue has become an important diagnostic parameter. Different apoptosis detection methods assess distinct biochemical processes in the dying cell. Thus, their direct comparison is mandatory to evaluate their diagnostic value. The aim of this study was to compare the immunohistochemical detection of active caspase 3 and single-stranded DNA in primary and metastatic liver tumours as markers of apoptotic cell death.


METHODS
We studied detection of active caspase 3 and single-stranded DNA in 20 primary hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and 20 liver metastases from colorectal carcinomas (CRC) using immunohistochemistry on paraffin sections.


RESULTS
Our results reveal that both methods are suitable and sensitive techniques for the in situ detection of apoptosis, however, they also demonstrate that immunohistochemistry for active caspase 3 and single-stranded DNA have differential sensitivities in HCC and CRC.


CONCLUSIONS
The sensitivity of apoptosis detection using immunohistochemistry for active caspase 3 and single-stranded DNA may be tumour cell type dependent.
Karamitopoulou
Eva
E
Institute of Pathology, Flow Cytometry Facility, Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Cioccari
Luca
L
Jakob
Sabine
S
Vallan
Claudio
C
Schaffner
Thomas
T
Zimmermann
Arthur
A
Brunner
Thomas
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000556:secondary; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D053148:Caspase 3