At. Bergenheim et al., EXPRESSION OF ESTRAMUSTINE-BINDING PROTEIN IN EPENDYMOMAS AND IN HUMAN AND DEVELOPING RAT EPENDYMAL CELLS, Journal of neuro-oncology, 22(1), 1994, pp. 45-53
The mainstays of primary treatment of ependymoma are aggressive surger
y followed by radiotherapy. Although spreading occasionally occurs in
the cerebrospinal pathways, chemotherapy is still not established and
no ultimate drug has so far been found. Estramustine-phosphate (EMP),
with a demonstrated effect on astrocytoma in vitro, has been shown to
penetrate the blood-tumor barrier and to accumulate in human brain tum
or tissue including ependymoma. It has been proposed that the cytotoxi
c effect of EMP depends on the presence of a binding protein, estramus
tine-binding protein (EMBP). In the present paper we have, for the fir
st time, immunohistochemically demonstrated an EMBP-like protein in a
series of ependymomas. Immunoreactivity was found within the cytoplasm
of the tumor cells with a tendency to increase with increasing malign
ancy of the tumor. In addition, the occurence of EMBP-like protein was
demonstrated in human ependymal cells. In the rat brain, a weak immun
oreactivity was detected in early fetal neuroepithelial cells while th
e staining intensity was increased in mature ependymal cells in late f
etal, neonatal, and adult rat. Thus, immunoreactivity for an EMBP-like
protein was demonstrated in ependymoma tissue, normal human ependyma
and in the developing rat ependymal cells.