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Cancer Stem Cell Markers - CD133 and CD44 - in Paediatric Solid Tumours: A Study of Immunophenotypic Expression and
Shashikant Singh1, Minakshi Bhardwaj1, Amita Sen2
1Department of Pathology, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Insights
This study found that CD133 and CD44 markers identify cancer stem cells in paediatric solid tumours. High expression of these markers was observed, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for childhood cancers.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
- Cancer Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Paediatric solid tumours represent a significant portion of childhood malignancies, distinct from adult tumours in several aspects.
- Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are implicated in tumour initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance.
- Immunohistochemical markers like CD133 and CD44 have been proposed for CSC detection in various cancers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the expression of CD133 and CD44 in paediatric solid tumours.
- To correlate the expression of these markers with clinico-pathological parameters.
- To evaluate the potential of CD133 and CD44 as indicators of cancer stem cells in paediatric solid tumours.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study involving 50 histologically diagnosed paediatric solid tumours.
- Immunohistochemistry was performed using monoclonal antibodies for CD133 and CD44 on representative tumour sections.
- Immuno-scores were assessed and correlated with tumour types using Pearson's chi-square test.
Main Results:
- High expression of both CD133 and CD44 was detected in the paediatric solid tumour cohort.
- A significant association was observed between CD133 expression and different tumour groups (p=0.004).
- CD44 exhibited variable expression across various paediatric tumour types.
Conclusions:
- Both CD133 and CD44 effectively identify cancer stem cells within paediatric solid tumours.
- The findings suggest that CD133 and CD44 are promising markers for CSCs in paediatric malignancies.
- Further research is warranted to validate their prognostic and therapeutic potential in childhood cancers.
Abstract:
Paediatric solid tumours account for about 30% of all the paediatric malignancies. They differ from adult tumours in various aspects like incidence, etiopathogenesis, biology, response rate and outcome. Immunohistochemical markers such as CD133, CD44, CD24, CD90, CD34, CD117, CD20 and ALDH 1 (aldehyde dehydrogenase-1) have been proposed to detect cancer stem cells in tumours. CD133 is a marker of tumour initiating cells in many human cancers and therefore, it may be possible to develop future therapies by targeting cancer stem cells via this marker. CD44 is a transmembrane glycoprotein also known as homing cell adhesion molecule. It is a multifunctional cell-adhesion molecule and plays an important role in cell-cell interaction, lymphocyte homing, tumour progression and metastasis. In the present study, we assessed the expression of CD133 and CD44 in paediatric solid tumours and correlated their expression with clinico-pathological parameters in paediatric solid tumours. This study was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in the department of pathology at a tertiary care centre. All the histologically diagnosed paediatric solid tumours for a period of one year and four months were retrieved from the archives. The cases were reviewed and included in the study after obtaining informed consent. Immunohistochemistry using the monoclonal antibodies for CD133 and CD44 was performed in the representative tissue sections of all the cases. Immuno-scores were assessed, and the results were compared using Pearson's chi-square test. The present study included 50 cases of paediatric solid tumours. The majority (34%) of the patients were in the age group of less than 5 years, with male preponderance (M:F = 2.3:1). The tumours included were Wilms tumour, yolk sac tumour, rhabdomyosarcoma, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, hepatoblastoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), medulloblastomas, pilocytic astrocytomas, ependymomas and glioblastoma. On immunohistochemical analysis, high expression of CD133 and CD44 was found. A significant association between the expression of CD133 and various tumour groups was observed (p = 0.004). However, CD44 showed variable expression in different tumour groups. Both CD133 and CD44 identified cancer stem cell in paediatric solid tumours. A further validation is warranted to investigate their potential role in therapy and prognosis.
