Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
11:12
Optimization of a Multiplex RNA-based Expression Assay Using Breast Cancer Archival Material
Published on: August 1, 2018
Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor expression in soft tissue sarcomas
Marcus Renner1, Benjamin Goeppert, Muhammad Ahsan Siraj
1Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. marcus.renner@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Histopathology
|May 11, 2013
Summary
Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) is present on blood vessels in all soft tissue sarcomas, offering new research avenues for mesenchymal neoplasms. FSHR was also found on sarcoma tumor cells.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Endocrinology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) is primarily known for its expression in ovarian granulosa cells and testicular Sertoli cells.
- Recent studies reveal FSHR expression on blood vessels in various tumor types, but its role in mesenchymal tumors remained uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of FSHR in soft tissue sarcomas (STS), a diverse group of mesenchymal neoplasms.
- To determine if FSHR is present on tumor-associated vasculature and within tumor cells of STS.
Main Methods:
- A semiquantitative evaluation of FSHR protein expression was conducted on a cohort of 335 soft tissue sarcomas across 11 subtypes.
- Immunohistochemical analysis was used to detect FSHR protein in both endothelial cells of blood vessels and tumor cells.
Main Results:
- FSHR-positive blood vessels were detected in all analyzed STS subtypes.
- Dedifferentiated liposarcomas showed significantly higher FSHR expression in vessels compared to well-differentiated liposarcomas (WDLS).
- FSHR was also found in tumor cells of all STS subtypes, with varying incidence, highest in undifferentiated high-grade pleomorphic sarcomas.
Conclusions:
- The findings confirm FSHR expression in the vasculature of mesenchymal neoplasms, expanding on previous observations in other cancer types.
- These results provide a foundation for exploring the potential role and therapeutic targeting of FSHR in soft tissue sarcomas and other mesenchymal tumors.
