AIMS: To determine the expression and prognostic significance of heparanase in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of 46 patients with NPC. Clinical and immunohistochemical data were correlated with gender, age, histological type, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status, stage and survival. RESULTS: Heparanase immunoreactivity was found in 35% (16/46) of specimens. The cumulative survival of patients diagnosed as heparanase negative (n = 30) at 10 years was 70%. In contrast, the cumulative survival of patients diagnosed as heparanase positive (n = 16) at 10 years was 25%, differences that are highly statistically significant (P = 0.03). No significant correlations were found between heparanase immunoreactivity and gender, age, EBV status, tumour histology or tumour stage. CONCLUSION: Heparanase expression is inversely correlated with survival of NPC patients, clearly indicating that heparanase is a reliable prognostic factor for this malignancy, and further supports the notion that heparanase is a valid target for the development of anti-cancer drugs.
AIMS: To determine the expression and prognostic significance of heparanase in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of 46 patients with NPC. Clinical and immunohistochemical data were correlated with gender, age, histological type, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status, stage and survival. RESULTS:Heparanase immunoreactivity was found in 35% (16/46) of specimens. The cumulative survival of patients diagnosed as heparanase negative (n = 30) at 10 years was 70%. In contrast, the cumulative survival of patients diagnosed as heparanase positive (n = 16) at 10 years was 25%, differences that are highly statistically significant (P = 0.03). No significant correlations were found between heparanase immunoreactivity and gender, age, EBV status, tumour histology or tumour stage. CONCLUSION:Heparanase expression is inversely correlated with survival of NPCpatients, clearly indicating that heparanase is a reliable prognostic factor for this malignancy, and further supports the notion that heparanase is a valid target for the development of anti-cancer drugs.
Authors: Israel Vlodavsky; Phillip Beckhove; Immanuel Lerner; Claudio Pisano; Amichai Meirovitz; Neta Ilan; Michael Elkin Journal: Cancer Microenviron Date: 2011-08-03
Authors: Uri Barash; Victoria Cohen-Kaplan; Ilana Dowek; Ralph D Sanderson; Neta Ilan; Israel Vlodavsky Journal: FEBS J Date: 2010-08-31 Impact factor: 5.542