Somatostatin receptors in non-endocrine tumours.

Abstract

The presence of cellular somatostatin receptors, particularly of subtype 2, has been reported in a large number of human primary non-neuroendocrine tumours, such as breast and colon cancer. Our aim was to evaluate whether subtype 2 expression may represent a prognostic factor in these tumours, and if the exact determination of its expression might help to identify patients eligible for a new treatment modality based on somatostatin analogues. Large groups of neuroblastomas as well as breast and colon cancers were studied for subtype 2 expression. In the two latter groups the expression of subtype 2 was evaluated both in tumour and in the corresponding normal tissue from the same patient, to correctly evaluate any modification of subtype 2 mRNA expression in cancer. Subtype 2 mRNA expression was measured with accurate quantitative retro transcription-polymerase chain reaction procedures (first, by competitive polymerase chain reaction and then, by real-time assays). When possible, results of mRNA measurement were compared with in vitro (in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry) and in vivo (octreoscan) demonstration of subtype 2 expression in the same patients. Our results seem to suggest the hypothesis that subtype 2 may represent a marker of cell differentiation in certain tumours, such as neuroblastoma, and another instance may be represented by breast and colon cancer. Beside this, the question whether subtype 2 may have an active role in inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, stays open.

• Authors: M C Smitha, M Maggi, C Orlando
• Journal: Digestive and liver disease : official journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (Dig Liver Dis) Vol. 36 Suppl 1 Pg. S78-85 (Feb 2004) ISSN: 1590-8658 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 15077915 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Receptors, Somatostatin

Topics

• Breast Neoplasms (chemistry)
• Colorectal Neoplasms (chemistry)
• Humans
• Neoplasms (chemistry, mortality)
• Neuroblastoma (chemistry)
• Prognosis
• Receptors, Somatostatin (analysis)