Immunohistochemical detection of follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in neuroendocrine tumours

Abstract

Introduction: Follicle stimulating hormone receptors (FSHR) are well known to be expressed in gonads and in gonadal tumours. Recently, their incidence has also been revealed in endocrine non-gonadal tumours such as adrenal and pituitary tumours. Moreover, FSHR im-munostaining has also been reported in endothelium of intra- and peritumoral blood vessels of a large series of cancers. The present paper reports on the incidence of FSHR in both tumoral cells and some intratumoral blood vessels of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). Material and methods: Sixteen NETs samples were taken from 14 patients. The tumour samples were immunostained using the antibody raised against 1-190 amino acid sequence from the human FSH-R and anti-Ki67 antibody. Results: In all the samples examined, the majority of tumoral cells were immunostained with anti-FSHR antibody. Positive immunostaining concerned also the intratumoral blood vessels endothelia in a half of the examined samples. Immunopositive blood vessels were found more often in tumours with higher Ki-67 index. Conclusion: FSHR expressed in NETs, if they are functional, may mediate the signals which can enhance further tumour growth.