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Assessment of Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors by an Interrogation of Signal Transduction Pathways by Antibody Arrays
07:42

Assessment of Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors by an Interrogation of Signal Transduction Pathways by Antibody Arrays

Published on: September 19, 2018

Tyrosine kinase receptor expression in thymomas

John D Henley1, Oscar W Cummings, Patrick J Loehrer

  • 1Department of Pathology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Clarian Health Partners, 550 North University Blvd, Rm 3465, Indianapolis 46202, USA. jhenley@iupui.edu

Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology
|February 6, 2004
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Tyrosine kinase receptor antagonists are promising for neoplasia. This study found c-KIT expression is common in thymic carcinomas but rare in thymomas, unlike EGFR expression.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Immunohistochemistry

Background:

  • Tyrosine kinase receptors are key targets for anti-cancer therapies.
  • Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is highly expressed in advanced thymic epithelial tumors.
  • c-KIT (CD117) is investigated as another potential therapeutic target in thymic neoplasms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the expression of c-KIT in thymoma and thymic carcinoma.
  • To compare c-KIT expression patterns with EGFR expression in these tumors.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemical staining for c-KIT was performed on tumor tissue from 35 patients with advanced-stage thymoma.
  • Tumor samples included 20 thymomas and 15 thymic carcinomas.
  • Positive staining was defined as cytoplasmic or membrane staining.

Main Results:

  • c-KIT expression was detected in 12 out of 35 tumors (34%).
  • c-KIT was significantly more common in thymic carcinomas (73%) than in thymoma (5%).
  • EGFR expression patterns were generally inverse to c-KIT expression.

Conclusions:

  • Thymic carcinomas typically show EGFR negative/c-KIT positive staining.
  • Thymomas are usually EGFR positive/c-KIT negative.
  • These distinct expression patterns may have future therapeutic implications for thymic neoplasms.

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