title: Expression of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor by the vascular endothelium in tumor metastases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Follicle Stimulating Hormone receptor (FSHR) is expressed by the vascular endothelium in a wide range of human tumors. It was not determined however if FSHR is present in metastases which are responsible for the terminal illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used immunohistochemistry based on a highly FSHR-specific monoclonal antibody to detect FSHR in cancer metastases from 6 major tumor types (lung, breast, prostate, colon, kidney, and leiomyosarcoma ) to 6 frequent locations (bone, liver, lymph node, brain, lung, and pleura) of 209 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 166 patients examined (79%), FSHR was expressed by blood vessels associated with metastatic tissue. FSHR-positive vessels were present in the interior of the tumors and some few millimeters outside, in the normally appearing tissue. In the interior of the metastases, the density of the FSHR-positive vessels was constant up to 7 mm, the maximum depth available in the analyzed sections. No significant differences were noticed between the density of FSHR-positive vessels inside vs. outside tumors for metastases from lung, breast, colon, and kidney cancers. In contrast, for prostate cancer metastases, the density of FSHR-positive vessels was about 3-fold higher at the exterior of the tumor compared to the interior. Among brain metastases, the density of FSHR-positive vessels was highest in lung and kidney cancer, and lowest in prostate and colon cancer. In metastases of breast cancer to the lung pleura, the percentage of blood vessels expressing FSHR was positively correlated with the progesterone receptor level, but not with either HER-2 or estrogen receptors. In normal tissues corresponding to the host organs for the analyzed metastases, obtained from patients not known to have cancer, FSHR staining was absent, with the exception of approx. 1% of the vessels in non tumoral temporal lobe epilepsy samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FSHR is expressed by the endothelium of blood vessels in the majority of metastatic tumors.
authors.affiliation: Inserm Equipe Angiogenèse Tumorale, Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Département Recherche Translationnelle, 26 rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Ahsan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siraj
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Desestret
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antoine
authors.forename: Gaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fromont
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huerre
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanson
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Camparo
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pichon
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Planeix
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonin
authors.forename: Aurelian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radu
authors.forename: Nicolae
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghinea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D011962:Receptors, FSH / Q000378:metabolism*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011962:Receptors, FSH