title: CD44: survival and metastasis in chondrosarcoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies have shown abnormal expression of CD44s and some of its isoforms in many human malignancies, but little is known about the presence of CD44 in chondrosarcoma. In this study the expression of CD44s and two variant isoforms was evaluated. It was assumed that abnormalities in these receptor proteins may be associated with clinical outcome of the patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty paraffin-embedded chondrosarcoma samples were immunostained with monoclonal antibodies for CD44s, CD44v5 and CD44v6. Two independent examiners who were unaware of the clinical status of the patients evaluated the immunohistochemical results. The percentage of CD44-positive cells was scored semiquantitatively. A rate of higher than 10% was considered as overexpression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 30 patients (median age 50 years) there were 22 conventional chondrosarcomas, two dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas, two extraskeletal chondrosarcomas, and one periostal, mesenchymal, clear cell and myxoid chondrosarcoma each. In the immunochemistry staining overexpression (>10% of cells) of CD44s was shown in 56.7% (17 of 30), of CD44v5 in 43.3% (13 of 30) and of CD44v6 in 6.7% (two of 30) of the tumors. Four grade III chondrosarcomas (80%) and 10 (71.4%) grade II chondrosarcomas showed overexpression for CD44s, whereas CD44s was overexpressed in only three (27.3%) grade I chondrosarcomas. Cox regression suggests overexpression of CD44s to be an additional prognostic marker for chondroid bone tumors independent of grading and other covariates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overexpression of CD44s correlated significantly with metastatic potential and with poorer survival in patients with chondrosarcoma. CD44s might be an independent additional marker, but small sample size remains to be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Rheumatology, University Hospital Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany. heyse@med.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Heyse
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malcherczyk
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Timmesfeld
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wapelhorst
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fuchs-Winkelmann
authors.forename: J R J
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Paletta
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Schofer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002813:Chondrosarcoma / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D020033:Protein Isoforms