Expression of Molecular Differentiation Markers Does Not Correlate with Histological Differentiation Grade in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 27280413.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0157140 and PMC identifier 4900546.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The differentiation status of tumor cells, defined by histomorphological criteria, is a prognostic factor for survival of patients affected with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). To strengthen the value of morphological differentiation criteria, we wished to correlate histopathological differentiation grade with expression of molecular biliary differentiation markers and of microRNAs previously shown to be dysregulated in ICC. We analysed a series of tumors that were histologically classified as well, moderately or poorly differentiated, and investigated the expression of cytokeratin 7, 19 and 903 (CK7, CK19, CK903), SRY-related HMG box transcription factors 4 and 9 (SOX4, SOX9), osteopontin (OPN), Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor-1 beta (HNF1β), Yes-associated protein (YAP), Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EPCAM), Mucin 1 (MUC1) and N-cadherin (NCAD) by qRT-PCR and immunostaining, and of miR-31, miR-135b, miR-132, miR-200c, miR-221 and miR-222. Unexpectedly, except for subcellular location of SOX9 and OPN, no correlation was found between the expression levels of these molecular markers and histopathological differentiation grade. Therefore, our data point toward necessary caution when investigating the evolution and prognosis of ICC on the basis of cell differentiation criteria.
Medical subject headings
- Bile Duct Neoplasms
- Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Cell Differentiation
- Cholangiocarcinoma