ADAM9 is highly expressed in renal cell cancer and is associated with tumour progression.
BACKGROUND
A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease (ADAM) 9 has been implicated in tumour progression of various solid tumours, however, little is known about its role in renal cell carcinoma. We evaluated the expression of ADAM9 on protein and transcript level in a clinico-pathologically characterized renal cell cancer cohort.


METHODS
108 renal cancer cases were immunostained for ADAM9 on a tissue-micro-array. For 30 additional cases, ADAM9 mRNA of microdissected tumour and normal tissue was analyzed via quantitative RT-PCR. SPSS 14.0 was used to apply crosstables (Fisher's exact test and chi2-test), correlations and univariate as well as multivariate survival analyses.


RESULTS
ADAM9 was significantly up-regulated in renal cancer in comparison to the adjacent normal tissue on mRNA level. On protein level, ADAM9 was significantly associated with higher tumour grade, positive nodal status and distant metastasis. Furthermore, ADAM9 protein expression was significantly associated with shortened patient survival in the univariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
ADAM9 is strongly expressed in a large proportion of renal cell cancers, concordant with findings in other tumour entities. Additionally, ADAM9 expression is significantly associated with markers of unfavourable prognosis. Whether the demonstrated prognostic value of ADAM9 is independent from other tumour parameters will have to be verified in larger study cohorts.
Fritzsche
Florian R
FR
Institute of Surgical Pathology, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. florian.fritzsche@usz.ch
Wassermann
Kirsten
K
Jung
Monika
M
Tölle
Angelika
A
Kristiansen
Ilka
I
Lein
Michael
M
Johannsen
Manfred
M
Dietel
Manfred
M
Jung
Klaus
K
Kristiansen
Glen
G
D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D051722:ADAM Proteins; C098339:ADAM9 protein, human