title: SALL4 expression in gestational trophoblastic tumors: a useful tool to distinguish choriocarcinoma from placental site trophoblastic tumor and epithelioid trophoblastic tumor.
abstract: SALL4 has important functions in embryonic stem cells. The aim of this study was to investigate SALL4 expression in gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. We hypothesized that it could help to distinguish choriocarcinoma, the presumed most primitive form of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, from placental site trophoblastic tumor and epithelioid trophoblastic tumor, which would be more differentiated variants. This study included 31 gestational trophoblastic neoplasias: 19 choriocarcinomas, 9 placental site trophoblastic tumors, 1 epithelioid trophoblastic tumor, and 2 mixed tumors comprising a placental site trophoblastic tumor and an epithelioid trophoblastic tumor. Unlike usual markers of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (p63, human chorionic gonadotrophin and human placental lactogen), SALL4 was expressed in 100% of choriocarcinomas and it was not detected in any placental site trophoblastic tumor and epithelioid trophoblastic tumor. However, the proportion of positive cells varied in a wide range, from 10% to 70%, reflecting the fact that SALL4 was specifically present in mononuclear cells consistent with neoplastic cytotrophoblast. So, SALL4 may be helpful in the differential diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic neoplasias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Lille University Hospital CHRU, 59037 Lille Cedex, France; North of France University, 59000 Lille, France. Electronic address: morgane.stichelbout@chru-lille.fr.
authors.forename: Morgane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stichelbout
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Lille University Hospital CHRU, 59037 Lille Cedex, France. Electronic address: louise.devisme@chru-lille.fr.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Devisme
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Lille University Hospital CHRU, 59037 Lille Cedex, France. Electronic address: helene.franquet@chru-lille.fr.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Franquet-Ansart
authors.affiliation: French Trophoblastic Diseases Reference Center, Lyon Sud University Hospital, 69495 Pierre Benite, France. Electronic address: jerome.massardier@chu-lyon.fr.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Massardier
authors.affiliation: North of France University, 59000 Lille, France; Department of Gynecology, Lille University Hospital CHRU, 59037 Lille Cedex, France. Electronic address: denis.vinatier@chru-lille.fr.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vinatier
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Lille University Hospital CHRU, 59037 Lille Cedex, France; North of France University, 59000 Lille, France. Electronic address: florence.renaud@chru-lille.fr.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Renaud
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Lille University Hospital CHRU, 59037 Lille Cedex, France. Electronic address: olivier.kerdraon@ico.unicancer.fr.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kerdraon
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015622:Epithelioid Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D031901:Gestational Trophoblastic Disease / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D018245:Trophoblastic Tumor, Placental Site / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C472575:SALL4 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Choriocarcinoma; Epithelioid trophoblastic tumor; Placental site trophoblastic tumor; SALL4; Trophoblast