Decreased survival in patients with cd44-negative typical bronchial carcinoid tumors

Abstract

Tumor tissues from 43 patients with typical bronchial carcinoids have been immunostained with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the standard form (CD44s) and the splice variants v4, vS, v6, v7, v7-8, v9 and v10 of the adhesion molecule CD44. The staining results were correlated with clinical data. Ten patients (23%) had regional lymph node métastases at diagnosis. Distant métastases have occurred in 12% of the patients; 9% died during the observation period of median 65 months (14-325). Positive staining for CD44s was correlated with decreased risk for distant métastases and disease related death. All patients with distant métastases were v6-negative. Patients with CD44v7-8-positive tumors had decreased risk for distant métastases, but the differences in mortality did not reach statistical significance. CD44v9 correlated significantly with decreased risk for distant métastases and death. The remaining CD44 variants (v4, v5 and v10) did not correlate significantly with clinical outcome. Our results confirm earlier observations that typical bronchial carcinoids are potentially malignant. However, positive staining for CD44s, v7-8 and v9 seems to be associated with a more favorable outcome, and m a v be taken into consider-ation in prognostic evaluation. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.