Expression of c-MET, low-molecular-weight cytokeratin, matrix metalloproteinases-1 and -2 in spinal chordoma.
OBJECTIVE
In skull base chordoma, c-MET expression has been reported to correlate with younger patient age and favourable prognosis; however, it also contributes to tumour invasiveness, especially in recurrent lesions, suggesting variable roles for c-MET according to clinical status. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of c-MET expression in spinal chordoma, which affects patients who are 10-20 years older than those with skull base chordoma.


RESULTS
Using immunohistochemical techniques, the expression of c-MET and its ligand, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was investigated in 34 primary spinal chordomas and compared with other clinicopathological parameters. Expression of c-MET and HGF was observed in 85.3 and 21.7% of lesions, respectively. c-MET expression correlated with the expression of an epithelial marker, low-molecular-weight cytokeratin (CAM5.2). Lesions with higher c-MET expression showed significantly stronger expression of proteinases, including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-2. However, c-MET expression was not associated with patient age, proliferative ability estimated by MIB-1 labelling index, or prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
c-MET expression was observed in most spinal chordomas and correlated with the expression of CAM5.2, suggesting a relationship to an epithelial phenotype.
Naka
Takahiko
T
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Magdeburg University, Magdeburg, Germany. takahicom@hotmail.com
Boltze
Carsten
C
Samii
Amir
A
Samii
Madjid
M
Herold
Christian
C
Ostertag
Helmut
H
Iwamoto
Yukihide
Y
Oda
Yoshinao
Y
Tsuneyoshi
Masazumi
M
Kuester
Doerthe
D
Roessner
Albert
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002817:Chordoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007633:Keratins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology
D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C400901:CAM 5.2 antigen; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D007633:Keratins; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1