Expression and prognostic relevance of endothelin-B receptor in vulvar cancer.

Abstract

Overexpression of endothelin (ET)-1 and its receptors, ETAR and ETBR, commonly referred to as the 'ET-axis', has been demonstrated to play a role in cancer progression for various human tumours. Based on these results we propose a similar role of the expression of the ET-axis in vulvar cancer. Expression of the ET-axis was investigated immunohistochemically using tissue microarrays with tumour samples of 68 vulvar cancer patients. Samples were obtained from patients undergoing local excision or radical vulvectomy. ET-1 expression of tumour cells correlated highly significantly with early stages of vulvar cancer (p=0.004), whereas neither ETAR nor ETBR expression showed any association with TNM stages. High staining levels of ETBR in the tumour tissue were significantly related to tumour progression (p=0.01) and early metastases (p=0.09); low ETBR staining intensity correlated with longer relapse-free survival (p=0.019). In patients with ETBR overexpressing low-stage tumours (pT1-2) we observed a significantly reduced overall survival and disease-free survival (p=0.036 and 0.021, respectively). ETAR expression and ETBR expression were significantly correlative (p=0.018). Accordingly, co-expression of both receptors was related to tumour progression (p=0.022) and an increased risk for local recurrence (p=0.005). These results suggest that, in addition to established histological and clinical prognostic factors, analysis of ET-receptor and, in particular, of ETBR expression by means of simple immunohistochemical analysis might improve prediction of the prognosis for patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.

• Authors: Elke Eltze, Matteo Bertolin, Eberhard Korsching, Pia Wülfing, Tiziano Maggino, Ralph Lellé
• Journal: Oncology reports (Oncol Rep) Vol. 18 Issue 2 Pg. 305-11 (Aug 2007) ISSN: 1021-335X [Print] Greece
• PMID: 17611649 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Endothelin-1
• Receptor, Endothelin A
• Receptor, Endothelin B

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (metabolism, pathology)
• Disease Progression
• Endothelin-1 (analysis)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Staging
• Prognosis
• Receptor, Endothelin A (analysis)
• Receptor, Endothelin B (biosynthesis)
• Survival Analysis
• Vulvar Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)