Expression of GATA-6 transcription factor in pleural malignant mesothelioma and metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive tumour with poor prognosis and limited response to therapy. New markers for the prediction of prognosis in MM and in pulmonary adenocarcinoma of the pleura are valuable. GATA-6 belongs to a six member zinc finger transcription factor family named after their recognition motif W-GATA-R.


OBJECTIVE
To clarify the distribution and possible function of GATA-6 transcription factor in MM and in pleural metastasis of lung adenocarcinomas.


METHODS
63 pleural MM and 36 pleural metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinomas were studied for GATA-6 expression by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays. Expression of GATA-6 was examined in relation to thyroid transcription factor-1 expression, survival, proliferation and apoptosis.


RESULTS
Nuclear immunoreactivity for GATA-6 was stronger and more frequent in MM than in metastatic pleural adenocarcinoma. Prognosis was better in patients with GATA-6 expression when compared to those with no GATA-6 expression (p = 0.002); in the subgroup analysis the difference was significant in epithelial and sarcomatous mesothelioma. GATA-6 was not associated with spontaneous proliferation or apoptosis of the tumour cells in situ.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that GATA-6 plays a role in pleural malignancies, predicting longer survival in subgroups of MM.
Lindholm
P M
PM
Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
Soini
Y
Y
Myllärniemi
M
M
Knuutila
S
S
Heikinheimo
M
M
Kinnula
V L
VL
Salmenkivi
K
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D050993:GATA6 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D050993:GATA6 Transcription Factor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins