Expression of CD 73 (ecto-5'-nucleotidase) in 165 glioblastomas by immunohistochemistry and electronmicroscopic histochemistry.

BACKGROUND: CD 73 (5'-nucleotidase) is an ectoenzyme, which is expressed on normal and neoplastic glial plasma membranes. The enzyme binds to intracellular filamentous actin and the extracellular matrix proteins laminin and fibronectin. CD 73 is a signalling pathway metabolite in the immune response of lymphocytes. The ectoenzyme catalyzes the conversion of purine and pyrimidine ribo- and deoxyribo-nucleoside monophosphates (AMP, GMP, IMP) and leads to elevation of the corresponding nucleosides (adenosine) in the extracellular space and might therefore modulate neuronal signalling and vascular perfusion. CD 73 has also been called a cellular motility factor. There is an increasing amount of evidence for the modulatory role of PKC-mediated CD 73 activity in ischemia, regeneration and repair, glioma cell proliferation and a possible invasion promoting feature of the ectoenzyme. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression patterns of CD 73 together with the labelling of PKC and EGFR. The latter is known as a marker for primary glioblastomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated the expression of CD 73 in 165 glioblastoma specimens together with the expression patterns of PKC and EGFR by immunocytochemistry on cryosections with a 4-step grading evaluation by two independent observers. CD 73 was further investigated morphologically by electron-microscopic histochemistry in cell cultures of glioblastoma specimens.
RESULTS: With these methods it was possible to demonstrate a dense labelling pattern of glioblastoma specimens with anti-CD 73. 95.7% of the glioblastomas were identified with staining products, 63% with labelling grades 2 and 3. The dense staining of the endoplasmatic reticulum, vesicles, caveolar structures and glial membranes was demonstrated by electron-microscopic histochemistry. Some free enzymatic activity was located bound to the ECM components. We observed a significant coexpressions of CD 73 with PKC (p = 0.001) and CD 73 with EGFR (p = 0.022), which is a prospective marker for a high rate of early recurrency.
CONCLUSIONS: The CD 73 activity was densely distributed on the membranes of glioblastoma cells in vivo and in cell cultures. The electron-microscopic histochemical studies could demonstrate enzymatic activity at the cell membranes and in vesicular structures and caveolae. Free staining deposits located on ECM components may result in a migration- and infiltration-promoting activity. The CD 73 expression could be correlated with the expression grades of PKC and EGFR. The latter has been identified as a prognostic factor which is expressed mainly on primary glioblastomas. PKC is a known tumour metabolite in several proliferation promoting pathways of EGF receptor signalling.