ONCOmmunity

PDGFR-α and CD117 Expression Pattern in Esophageal Carcinomas.

By: Mariusz Adam Goscinski, Stein Gunnar Larsen, Karl-Erik Giercksky, Jahn Marthin Nesland, Zhenhe Suo

Department of Surgery, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway mariuszg@online.no.
2015-7-1; doi:

Abstract

Background

Despite advanced diagnostics and multimodal treatments, the overall 5-year survival rate for patients with esophageal cancer remains low. In the past, several specific antibodies, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, targeting different steps of carcinogenesis were investigated. We examined two receptor tyrosine kinases, platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR-α) and mast/stem cell growth factor receptor (CD117) in esophageal carcinomas.

Materials

Tissue samples of 52 Norwegian patients who underwent esophagectomy were examined using immunohistochemistry.

Results

PDGFR-α and CD117 expression was observed in cancer cells in all samples of both carcinoma types. A higher PDGFR-α immunoreactivity was detected in the squamous cell carcinoma group (p=0.032). Surprisingly, a higher number of PDGFR-α-positive cells in the analyzed samples for the entire population was associated with longer survival (p=0.05).

Conclusion

The findings of our study need to be further validated as we examined a low number of patients. Both PDGFR-α and CD117 probably play an important role in the progression of esophageal carcinoma, and they may possibly be targets for biological anticancer therapy in the future.