title: Stathmin immunoreactivity in phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas: differential expression between benign and malignant neoplasms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to assess stathmin expression in benign and malignant phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue specimens from 37 patients with malignant phaeochromocytomas (n = 5), malignant paragangliomas (n = 3), benign phaeochromocytomas (n = 24), and benign paragangliomas (n = 5) were analysed for stathmin expression by western blotting and immunohistochemical staining with polyclonal antibodies. Malignancy was defined by metastases in nonchromaffin tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were higher stathmin expression levels in phaeochromocytomas compared to normal adrenal tissue, by western blotting and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, whereas immunohistochemical staining showed stathmin immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm of tumour cells. Malignant neoplasms had significantly higher stathmin expression compared to benign neoplasms by western blotting and immunohistochemical staining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malignant phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas have significantly higher levels of stathmin expression compared to benign tumours. The potential value of stathmin in predicting malignancies requires further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Chou
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shyh-Chyan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yuan-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Kuan-Lin
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Kuo-How
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000473:pathology*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000473:pathology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050777:Stathmin / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D050777:Stathmin