MALDI imaging on tissue microarrays identifies molecular features associated with renal cell cancer phenotype.
OBJECTIVE
To identify molecular features associated with clinico-pathological parameters in renal cell cancer.


METHODS
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging was employed for a kidney cancer tissue microarray containing tissue samples from 789 patients for which clinical follow-up data were available.


RESULTS
A comparison of mass spectrometric signals with clinico-pathological features revealed significant differences between papillary and clear cell renal cell cancer. Within the subgroup of clear cell RCC, statistical associations with tumor stage (seven signals, p<0.01 each), Fuhrman grade (seven signals, p<0.0001 each), and presence of lymph node metastases (10 signals, p<0.01 each) were found. In addition, the presence of one signal was significantly linked to shortened patient survival (p=0.0198).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data pinpoint towards various molecules with potential relevance in renal cell cancer. They also demonstrate that the combination of the MALDI mass spectrometry imaging and large-scale tissue microarray platforms represents a powerful approach to identify clinically-relevant molecular cancer features.
Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Bldg. N27, Room 00.008, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. hschluet@uke.de.
Stefan
S
Steurer
Ahmad Shoaib
AS
Seddiqi
Julius Magnus
JM
Singer
Ahmad Soliaman
AS
Bahar
Christian
C
Eichelberg
Michael
M
Rink
Roland
R
Dahlem
Hartwig
H
Huland
Guido
G
Sauter
Ronald
R
Simon
Sarah
S
Minner
Eike
E
Burandt
Phillip R
PR
Stahl
Thorsten
T
Schlomm
Marcus
M
Wurlitzer
Hartmut
H
Schlüter
D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010641:Phenotype; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis / Q000379:methods*
MALDI mass spectrometry imaging; MALDI-MSI; biomarker; renal cell cancer; tissue microarray