Expression of tenascin in human cervical cancer - Association of tenascin expression with clinicopathological parameters

Objective. Tenascin is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, relevant for e mbryonal and fetal development, which is reexpressed in the stroma of benig n and malignant tumors. Little is known about the molecular interaction of tenascin during neoplastic transformation and tumor progression in cervical cancer. Method. We studied the expression of tenascin in normal tissue of the cervi x uteri, cervical carcinoma in situ, and invasive cervical carcinoma in par affin sections by immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody. Tenasci n immunoreactivity was compared with various prognostic parameters. Results. In normal cervical tissue (n = 5) and in cervical carcinoma in sit u (n = 10) only vessel walls showed a weak tenascin cross-reactivity, where as tenascin was not expressed in the epithelial layer or the underlying con nective tissue. In invasive cervical carcinoma (n = 89) tenascin expression was markedly increased. In 84% (n = 75) of the cases examined a strong ten ascin immunoreactivity was noted around and within the tumor cell nests. Si xteen percent (n = 14) of infiltrating cervical carcinomas showed no tenasc in immunoreactivity. A definite correlation was found between weak or no te nascin expression and slight desmoplastic mesenchymal reactivity(n = 42/91% , P < 0.001), lymphatic space invasion (n = 54/81%, P < 0.001), and lymph n ode metastases (n = 30/77%, P < 0.05). Tenascin-positive patients had a sig nificantly better prognosis than tenascin-negative patients (mean survival time of 56.5 +/- 4.1 months versus 31.9 +/- 5.6 months, P < 0.05). Conclusion. Eased on these findings we discuss that the appearance of tenas cin is an indicator of an adequate biological defense in cervical cancer pa tients. The tenascin staining may therefore be useful for detecting a subgr oup of invasive cancer patients missing tenascin reactivity with alteration s of stromal defense and a poorer prognosis, (C) 1999 Academic Press.