Increasing expression of fascin in renal cell carcinoma associated with clinicopathological parameters of aggressiveness
J.-S. Jin1, C.-P. Yu1, G.-H. Sun2, Y.-F. Lin3, H. Chiang4, T.-K. Chao1, W.-C. Tsai1 and L.-F. Sheu1
1Department of Pathology, 2Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, 3Division of Nephrology, 3Department of Internal Medicine, Tri Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center and 4Taipei Institute of Pathology, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Offprint requests to: Jong-Shiaw Jin, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Cheng-Gong Road, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. e mail: jsjin@ndmctsgh.edu.tw
Summary. Aim: To determine whether higher expression of fascin, an actin-bundling protein associated with motility, in conventional renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is associated with more advanced stages of the disease. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of fascin expression was performed in tissue microarrays of 108 RCCs including 55 clear cell RCCs (CRCCs), 39 CRCCs with granular cell differentiation (GRCCs), 8 CRCCs with sarcomatoid differentiation (SRCCs) and 6 metastatic RCCs. Results: The expression of fascin was undetectable in normal renal tubules of all control cases. However, among the 108 RCC cases, fascin immunoreactivity was seen on the cell membrane and cytoplasm. The average immunostaining score for fascin was 128/400 in grade I, 170/400 in grade II, 207/400 in grade III, and 323/400 in grade IV RCC. The average immunostaining score of fascin was 187/400 for stage T1, 205/400 for stage T2, 288/400 for stage T3, and 355/400 for stage T4 cases of RCCs. Higher fascin scores in RCC were significantly correlated with higher T and N stages and nuclear grade. In addition, the fascin scores in GRCC (368±19) and SRCC (263±21) were significantly higher than in CRCC (95±18). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate for the first time that increased expression of fascin is associated with clinicopathological parameters of aggressiveness in patients with RCC. Fascin may be a novel biomarker for diagnosis and treatment of RCC. Histol Histopathol 21, 1287-1293 (2006)
Key words: Fascin, Renal cell carcinoma, Clear cell type, Granular cell differentiation, Sarcomatoid differentiation
DOI: 10.14670/HH-21.1287