title: Expression of PDGFR-α, EGFR and c-MET in spinal chordoma: a series of 52 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor-A (PDGFRα), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-Met in spinal chordoma. To the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding the prognostic significance of receptor tyrosine kinase in spinal chordoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using immunohistochemical techniques, the authors investigated PDGFR-α, EGFR and c-MET expression in 52 primary and 104 recurrent lesions, and compared these data with clinicopathological parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PDGFR-α, EGFR and c-MET were found to be expressed in 75.0%, 83% and 77% of primary, and in 97.0% of recurrent lesions in all investigated receptor tyrosine kinases. Higher PDGFR-α and c-MET expression was found to be correlated with younger patient age. Lesions with a higher expression of PDGFR-α demonstrated significantly higher EGFR scores in both primary and recurrent lesions compared to those with lower PDGFR-α expression. In recurrent lesions, higher c-MET expression was found to be associated with significantly better prognosis than those with lower c-MET expression (p=0.033). Lesions with a higher level of PDGFR-α expression were found to have significantly poorer prognosis than those with lower PDGFR-α expression (p=0.024). Those patients with lower EGFR expression were found to have significantly better prognosis than those with higher EGFR expression (p=0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the current study, c-MET expression in patients with spinal chordoma was found to be correlated with a younger patient age and a favorable prognosis. Patients with a higher level of PDGFR-α and EGFR expression were found to have a significantly poorer prognosis than those with lower PDGFR-α and EGFR expression.
authors: University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany. Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany. reza.akhavan-sigari@med.uni-goettingen.de.
authors: Reza
authors: R
authors: Akhavan-Sigari
authors: Michael Robert
authors: MR
authors: Gaab
authors: Veit
authors: V
authors: Rohde
authors: Mehdi
authors: M
authors: Abili
authors: Helmut
authors: H
authors: Ostertag
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002817:Chordoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha
keywords: EGFR; PDGFR-α; c-MET; spinal chordoma