title: Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor expression in soft tissue sarcomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In adult humans, the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) is expressed only in the granulosa cells of the ovary and the Sertoli cells of the testis. Recently, it has been shown that FSHR is expressed selectively on the surface of blood vessels in a wide range of tumours. So far, the expression of FSHR in mesenchymal tumours has not been studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed a semiquantitative evaluation of FSHR protein expression in a large cohort of soft tissue sarcomas (STS; n = 335), including 11 subtypes. FSHR-positive vessels were detected in all sarcoma subtypes analysed. Among liposarcomas, significantly more cases of dedifferentiated liposarcomas (28 of 44) showed FSHR expression compared to well-differentiated liposarcomas (WDLS; four of 21; P < 0.001). Vessels in lipomas (n = 9) and non-neoplastic fat were FSHR-negative. FSHR expression was also detected in tumour cells of all sarcoma subtypes examined, with the lowest incidence in WDLS (three of 21; 14.3%) and the highest frequency in undifferentiated high-grade pleomorphic sarcomas (41 of 60; 68.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data supplement the previously reported results of FSHR expression in endothelial cells of various cancer types and form a solid basis for further studies of FSHR in mesenchymal neoplasms.
authors: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. marcus.renner@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors: Marcus
authors: M
authors: Renner
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Goeppert
authors: Muhammad Ahsan
authors: MA
authors: Siraj
authors: Aurelian
authors: A
authors: Radu
authors: Roland
authors: R
authors: Penzel
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Wardelmann
authors: Burkhard
authors: B
authors: Lehner
authors: Alexis
authors: A
authors: Ulrich
authors: Albrecht
authors: A
authors: Stenzinger
authors: Arne
authors: A
authors: Warth
authors: Monika Nadja
authors: MN
authors: Vogel
authors: Wilko
authors: W
authors: Weichert
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Schirmacher
authors: Gunhild
authors: G
authors: Mechtersheimer
authors: Nicolae
authors: N
authors: Ghinea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008080:Liposarcoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011962:Receptors, FSH / Q000378:metabolism*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D011962:Receptors, FSH