title: Aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 predicts favorable prognosis in patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 (ALDH1) has been considered as a potential cancer stem cell marker in different types of cancer. In the present study, we investigated the expression of ALDH1 in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma, and evaluated its correlation with clinicopathological factors in patients suffering from this disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty-four patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma, together with their verified histopathological and complete clinical data in Norway were included in the study. All paraffin-embedded samples of the primary vulvar carcinoma were recruited. The presence of ALDH1 was detected by immunohistochemistry and compared against commonly recognized prognostic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By immunohistochemical staining, the expression of ALDH1 was observed in 10/154 (6.5%) vulvar squamous cell carcinomas, while being extensively expressed in the suprabasal cells in normal vulvar epithelia from patients with benign gynecological disease and non-malignant epithelia adjacent to the tumor cells. In addition, ALDH1 was highly expressed in stromal fibroblasts, blood vessels and keratinized pearl of the carcinoma in all the samples. Patients with ALDH1-positive tumors had a significantly longer disease-specific survival (p=0.042).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrary to the characteristics of cancer stem cells shown in other types of cancer with positive expression of ALDH1, the positive expression of ALDH1 in patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma indicates a significantly better prognosis. Furthermore, there is a trend that the expression of ALDH1 is associated with better histological differentiation.
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 450052, Zhengzhou, China, or Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Ullernchausseen 70, N-0310, Oslo, Norway. zhenhes@medisin.uio.no.
authors: Qinghua
authors: Q
authors: Wu
authors: Huirong
authors: H
authors: Shi
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Holm
authors: Xiaoran
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Claes
authors: C
authors: Trope
authors: Jahn M
authors: JM
authors: Nesland
authors: Zhenhe
authors: Z
authors: Suo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000080924:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D050697:Retinal Dehydrogenase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007527:Isoenzymes; D000080924:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family; C510223:ALDH1A1 protein, human; D050697:Retinal Dehydrogenase
keywords: ALDH1; Vulvar carcinoma; cancer stem cell marker; immunohistochemistry; prognosis