Downregulation of CASR expression and global loss of parafibromin staining are strong negative determinants of prognosis in parathyroid carcinoma.
Parathyroid carcinoma is associated with mutations in the HRPT2/CDC73 gene and with decreased parafibromin and calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) expression, but in some cases establishing an unequivocal diagnosis remains a challenge. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of CASR and parafibromin expression and of HRPT2/CDC73 mutations in patients with an established diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma. Data on survival and disease-free survival were obtained from hospital records of 23 patients with an established diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma in whom CASR and parafibromin expression and HRPT2/CDC73 mutation analyses were available from paraffin-embedded pathological specimens. Kaplan-Meier curves were used for survival analysis. Downregulation of CASR expression, global loss of parafibromin staining and a HRPT2/CDC73 mutation were, respectively, found in 7 (30%), 13 (59%) and 4 (17%) patients, and were associated with, respectively, 16-fold, 4-fold and 7-fold increased risk of developing local or distant metastasis. These findings suggest that although downregulation of CASR expression, global loss of parafibromin staining and mutations in the HRPT2/CDC73 gene are tools of proven value to assist in establishing a diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma, their absence does not exclude it. Notwithstanding, we demonstrate a significant added value of these markers as strong determinants of increased malignant potential and thus as negative prognostic markers in this malignancy.
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Janneke E
JE
Witteveen
Neveen A T
NA
Hamdy
Olaf M
OM
Dekkers
Job
J
Kievit
Tom
T
van Wezel
Bin T
BT
Teh
Johannes A
JA
Romijn
Hans
H
Morreau
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D016105:Parathyroidectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
C095550:CASR protein, human; C454900:CDC73 protein, human; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins