title: KIT, PDGFRalpha and EGFR analysis in nephroblastoma.
abstract: Nephroblastoma prognosis has dramatically improved, but an unfavourable prognostic subgroup warrants development of novel therapeutic strategies. Selective KIT, PDGFRalpha and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibition evolved as powerful targeted therapy for gastrointestinal stromal tumours and non-small-cell lung cancer. To investigate a potential role for tyrosine kinase inhibition, we analyzed 209 nephroblastomas for immunohistochemical KIT and EGFR expression, 63 nephroblastomas for mutations in KIT exons 9, 11, 13, EGFR exons 18, 19, 20 and 21, and all 209 nephroblastomas for PDGFRalpha exons 12, 14 and 18. Twenty-two tumours (10.5%) expressed KIT, 31 (14.8%) EGFR, and 10 (4.8%) both KIT and EGFR, respectively. KIT expression was relatively more common among high-risk tumours (6/27; 22.3%) compared to low-/intermediate-risk tumours (26/181; 14.4%). Nine patients deceased, four of which had high-risk tumours with KIT expression in two of four and EGFR expression in one of four. There were no KIT, PDGFRalpha or EGFR mutations. Our results suggest no significant contribution of KIT, EGFR or PDGFRalpha mutations to nephroblastoma pathogenesis. Despite a trend towards association of immunohistochemical KIT and EGFR expression with poor outcome in high-risk nephroblastomas, statistical analysis did not yield significant correlations in this subgroup. Therefore, it remains open if KIT, PDGFRalpha or EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibition constitute a therapeutic target in nephroblastoma in the absence of KIT, PDGFRalpha or EGFR mutations.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, Basel University Hospital, Schoenbeinstrasse 40, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sylvia C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wetli
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leuschner
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harms
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rufle
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foerster
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bihl
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: Roikos
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Furtwaengler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paulussen
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Briner
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aslanidis
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tornillo
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mihatsch
authors.forename: Inti
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zlobec
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bruder
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002675:Child, Preschool; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha