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Updated: Apr 30, 2026
The Use of Reverse Phase Protein Arrays RPPA to Explore Protein Expression Variation within Individual Renal Cell Cancers
Published on: January 22, 2013
MALDI imaging on tissue microarrays identifies molecular features associated with renal cell cancer phenotype
Stefan Steurer1, Ahmad Shoaib Seddiqi, Julius Magnus Singer
1Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Bldg. N27, Room 00.008, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. hschluet@uke.de.
Aim:
To identify molecular features associated with clinico-pathological parameters in renal cell cancer.
Materials And Methods:
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging was employed for a kidney cancer tissue microarray containing tissue samples from 789 patients for which clinical follow-up data were available.
Results:
A comparison of mass spectrometric signals with clinico-pathological features revealed significant differences between papillary and clear cell renal cell cancer. Within the subgroup of clear cell RCC, statistical associations with tumor stage (seven signals, p<0.01 each), Fuhrman grade (seven signals, p<0.0001 each), and presence of lymph node metastases (10 signals, p<0.01 each) were found. In addition, the presence of one signal was significantly linked to shortened patient survival (p=0.0198).
Conclusion:
Our data pinpoint towards various molecules with potential relevance in renal cell cancer. They also demonstrate that the combination of the MALDI mass spectrometry imaging and large-scale tissue microarray platforms represents a powerful approach to identify clinically-relevant molecular cancer features.
