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J Clin Pathol 2009;62:339-344 doi:10.1136/jcp.2008.060533
  • Original article

Expression of GATA-6 transcription factor in pleural malignant mesothelioma and metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinoma

  1. P M Lindholm1,2,
  2. Y Soini3,
  3. M Myllärniemi1,
  4. S Knuutila2,
  5. M Heikinheimo4,
  6. V L Kinnula1,
  7. K Salmenkivi2
  1. 1
    Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Division, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
  2. 2
    Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute and HUSLAB, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
  3. 3
    Department of Clinical Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Kuopio University, Kuopio and Oulu Central University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
  4. 4
    Children’s Hospital, Institute of Biomedicine and Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Finland, and Department of Pediatrics, Washington, University in St Louis, Missouri, USA
  1. Dr K Salmenkivi, Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute and HUSLAB, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, PO Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; kaisa.salmenkivi{at}helsinki.fi
  • Accepted 13 November 2008
  • Published Online First 5 December 2008

Abstract

Background: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive tumour with poor prognosis and limited response to therapy. New markers for the prediction of prognosis in MM and in pulmonary adenocarcinoma of the pleura are valuable. GATA-6 belongs to a six member zinc finger transcription factor family named after their recognition motif W-GATA-R.

Aim: To clarify the distribution and possible function of GATA-6 transcription factor in MM and in pleural metastasis of lung adenocarcinomas.

Methods: 63 pleural MM and 36 pleural metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinomas were studied for GATA-6 expression by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays. Expression of GATA-6 was examined in relation to thyroid transcription factor-1 expression, survival, proliferation and apoptosis.

Results: Nuclear immunoreactivity for GATA-6 was stronger and more frequent in MM than in metastatic pleural adenocarcinoma. Prognosis was better in patients with GATA-6 expression when compared to those with no GATA-6 expression (p = 0.002); in the subgroup analysis the difference was significant in epithelial and sarcomatous mesothelioma. GATA-6 was not associated with spontaneous proliferation or apoptosis of the tumour cells in situ.

Conclusion: Results suggest that GATA-6 plays a role in pleural malignancies, predicting longer survival in subgroups of MM.

Footnotes

  • Funding: This study was supported by K. Albin Johansson Foundation, Helsinki University Hospital Fund, Finnish Antituberculosis Association Foundation, Finnish Cancer Society, Sigrid Juselius Foundation, the Pediatric Research Foundation, the Finnish Medical Foundation and the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation.

  • Competing interests: None.

  • Ethics approval: Obtained.

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