The relationship of the expression of the neuronal intermediate filaments and clinical behavior of gastroenteropancreatic endocrine tumors.

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Gastroenteropancreatic carcinoid tumors (well-differentiated endocrine tumors) are thought to be low-grade malignant tumor, and the parameters of the metastatic potential have not been completely established. Peripherin and α-internexin belong to the neuronal intermediate filament. In this research, I analyzed the relationship of the expression of peripherin and α-internexin and the clinical behavior of gastroenteropancreatic carcinoid tumors. Peripherin was diffusely expressed in the rectal carcinoid tumors without metastasis, but the expression of peripherin was decreased or absent in the rectal carcinoid tumors with metastasis. Approximately half cases of the rectal carcinoid tumors without metastasis showed positive immunoreactivity for α-internexin. In contrast, both of them were diffusely expressed in all of the appendiceal carcinoid tumors. These results suggested that the surveillance of loss of peripherin expression may be useful to predict the risk of metastasis in rectal carcinoid tumors, and the expression pattern of neuronal intermediate filaments depended on the site of origin of carcinoid tumors.