title: Tumor MET expression may not predict the risk of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients.
abstract: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs at an increased incidence in cancer patients. A cancer-related hypercoagulable state has been considered to play role in this phenomenon. Preclinical data suggest an association between tumor expression of MET proto-oncogene (MET) and a hypercoagulable state, resulting in VTE. We investigated this association in this retrospective study. Thirty-five cancer patients with documented VTE and no relevant predisposing factors were compared with 35 matched cancer patients without VTE who served as controls. Pathology specimens of all patients and controls were stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for MET protein. Intensity of reactivity to the MET antibody was read as 0 (negative), 1+ (equivocal), and 2+ (positive). The pathologists were blinded to the patient VTE status. The MET reactivity in tissue sections were compared between the two cohorts. No significant difference was observed between the two groups for MET expression. This study's findings indicate no association between the reactivity for MET protein as measured through an immunohistochemical technique, and the incidence of VTE in cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, 535 Barnhill Dr., Room 473, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5289, USA. ssayar@iupui.edu
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sayar
authors.forename: Jeffrey T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Bunning
authors.forename: Therese J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Bocklage
authors.forename: Sang-Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Libby
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rabinowitz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; C491743:MET protein, human; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met