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

  • Authors:
    • Elke Eltze
    • Matteo Bertolin
    • Eberhard Korsching
    • Pia Wülfing
    • Tiziano Maggino
    • Ralph Lellé
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: August 1, 2007     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.18.2.305
  • Pages: 305-311
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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.

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August 2007
Volume 18 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Spandidos Publications style
Eltze E, Bertolin M, Korsching E, Wülfing P, Maggino T and Lellé R: Expression and prognostic relevance of endothelin-B receptor in vulvar cancer. Oncol Rep 18: 305-311, 2007
APA
Eltze, E., Bertolin, M., Korsching, E., Wülfing, P., Maggino, T., & Lellé, R. (2007). Expression and prognostic relevance of endothelin-B receptor in vulvar cancer. Oncology Reports, 18, 305-311. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.18.2.305
MLA
Eltze, E., Bertolin, M., Korsching, E., Wülfing, P., Maggino, T., Lellé, R."Expression and prognostic relevance of endothelin-B receptor in vulvar cancer". Oncology Reports 18.2 (2007): 305-311.
Chicago
Eltze, E., Bertolin, M., Korsching, E., Wülfing, P., Maggino, T., Lellé, R."Expression and prognostic relevance of endothelin-B receptor in vulvar cancer". Oncology Reports 18, no. 2 (2007): 305-311. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.18.2.305