Abstract
BackgroundAberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer cells and plays an important role in oncogenesis and cancer progression including metastasis. This study aimed to assess alteration in cellular glycosylation, detected by lectin Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA) binding, in adrenal cancers and to determine whether such altered glycosylation has prognostic significance.MethodsHPA binding lectin histochemistry was performed on archival paraffin wax‐embedded specimens of adrenocortical cancers excised from patients attending two tertiary referral centres. Benign tumours were used as controls. Demographic, histological and survival data were collected and compared between patients with HPA‐positive and HPA‐negative tumours.ResultsThirty‐two patients were treated for adrenal cancer between 2000 and 2016; their median age was 49 (range 23–79) years. Fifteen patients had functioning tumours (14 adrenal Cushing's tumours and 1 Conn's tumour). Mean(s.d.) tumour size was 127·71(49·70) mm. None of 10 control tumours expressed HPA‐binding glycoproteins. Invasion was associated with HPA‐binding glycoproteins (P = 0·018). Local recurrence or metastatic disease did not significantly differ between HPA‐positive and HPA‐negative adrenocortical cancers. Overall survival was significantly longer in patients with HPA‐negative tumours (median survival not reached versus 22 months in patients with HPA‐positive tumours; P = 0·002).ConclusionAltered cellular glycosylation detected by lectin HPA is associated with poor survival in patients with adrenocortical cancer.
Highlights
Adrenocortical cancers are rare endocrine tumours with an incidence of about 1–2 per million population
Cell surface glycoproteins play an important role in cell recognition, signalling, proliferation and differentiation[10]
The aims of this study were to assess alteration in cellular glycosylation, detected by Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA) binding in adrenal cancers, and to determine whether such altered glycosylation has prognostic significance
Summary
Adrenocortical cancers are rare endocrine tumours with an incidence of about 1–2 per million population. This disease appears to have a higher prevalence in women and is associated with extremely poor prognosis[1,2,3,4,5]. Methods: HPA binding lectin histochemistry was performed on archival paraffin wax-embedded specimens of adrenocortical cancers excised from patients attending two tertiary referral centres. Demographic, histological and survival data were collected and compared between patients with HPA-positive and HPA-negative tumours. None of 10 control tumours expressed HPA-binding glycoproteins. Local recurrence or metastatic disease did not significantly differ between HPA-positive and HPA-negative adrenocortical cancers. Conclusion: Altered cellular glycosylation detected by lectin HPA is associated with poor survival in patients with adrenocortical cancer
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