Microsatellite and EGFR, HER2 and K-RAS analyses in sclerosing hemangioma of the lung

Am J Surg Pathol. 2007 Oct;31(10):1512-20. doi: 10.1097/PAS.0b013e318032c8cc.

Abstract

Sclerosing hemangioma (SH) is an uncommon pulmonary tumor thought to derive from primitive respiratory epithelium consisting of 2 cell populations (cuboidal surface and polygonal stromal cells) and sharing some clinical characteristics (frequent occurrence in nonsmoking women of Asian ethnicity) with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma with which it has been suggested a possible common origin. We investigated 11 cases of SH by immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction-based microsatellite and mutational analyses with particular emphasis on possible alterations of microsatellite loci located at tumor suppressor genes (FHIT, p16, Rb, and p53) involved in lung adenocarcinoma genesis and EGFR, HER2, and K-RAS genes. Although EGFR expression was observed in all tested cases, none showed HER2 immunostaining. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and mutational analysis of EGFR and HER2 and also K-RAS sequencing did not reveal molecular alterations, whereas allelic losses at p16 and Rb loci (4 and 2 out of 9 tested cases, respectively) with an identical microsatellite allelic loss pattern in both cuboidal and polygonal cells were observed. The finding of microsatellite alterations in chromosomal regions related to genes deeply involved in early stage lung adenocarcinoma could suggest a possible link between SH and bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, but tumor pathway promoted by EGFR, HER2, and K-RAS does not represent a common molecular mechanism of tumorigenesis. Microsatellite alterations identified in cuboidal and polygonal cells further confirm the clonal and neoplastic nature of both components of SH.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics*
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Adult
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Clone Cells
  • DNA, Neoplasm / analysis
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics*
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Loss of Heterozygosity
  • Male
  • Microsatellite Repeats*
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Sclerosing Hemangioma / genetics*
  • Pulmonary Sclerosing Hemangioma / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Sclerosing Hemangioma / pathology
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / genetics*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • DNA, Neoplasm
  • EGFR protein, human
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)