Expression of GPNMB in renal eosinophilic tumors and its value in differential diagnosis

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the expression of glycoprotein non metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) in renal eosinophilic tumors and to compare the value of GPNMB with CK20, CK7 and CD117 in the differential diagnosis of renal eosinophilic tumors. Methods: Traditional renal tumor eosinophil subtypes, including 22 cases of renal clear cell carcinoma eosinophil subtype (e-ccRCC), 19 cases of renal papillary cell carcinoma eosinophil subtype (e-papRCC), 17 cases of renal chromophobe cell carcinoma eosinophil subtype (e-chRCC), 12 cases of renal oncocytoma (RO) and emerging renal tumor types with eosinophil characteristics [3 cases of eosinophilic solid cystic renal cell carcinoma (ESC RCC), 3 cases of renal low-grade eosinophil tumor (LOT), 4 cases of fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma (FH-dRCC) and 5 cases of renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma (E-AML)], were collected at the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from January 2017 to March 2022. The expression of GPNMB, CK20, CK7 and CD117 was detected by immunohistochemistry and statistically analyzed. Results: GPNMB was expressed in all emerging renal tumor types with eosinophil characteristics (ESC RCC, LOT, FH-dRCC) and E-AML, while the expression rates in traditional renal eosinophil subtypes e-papRCC, e-chRCC, e-ccRCC and RO were very low or zero (1/19, 1/17, 0/22 and 0/12, respectively); the expression rate of CK7 in LOT (3/3), e-chRCC (15/17), e-ccRCC (4/22), e-papRCC (2/19), ESC RCC (0/3), RO (4/12), E-AML(1/5), and FH-dRCC (2/4) variedly; the expression of CK20 was different in ESC RCC (3/3), LOT(3/3), e-chRCC(1/17), RO(9/12), e-papRCC(4/19), FH-dRCC(1/4), e-ccRCC(0/22) and E-AML(0/5), and so did that of CD117 in e-ccRCC(2/22), e-papRCC(1/19), e-chRCC(16/17), RO(10/12), ESC RCC(0/3), LOT(1/3), E-AML(2/5) and FH-dRCC(1/4). GPNMB had 100% sensitivity and 97.1% specificity in distinguishing E-AML and emerging renal tumor types (such as ESC RCC, LOT, FH-dRCC) from traditional renal tumor types (such as e-ccRCC, e-papRCC, e-chRCC, RO),respectively. Compared with CK7, CK20 and CD117 antibodies, GPNMB was more effective in the differential diagnosis (P<0.05). Conclusion: As a new renal tumor marker, GPNMB can effectively distinguish E-AML and emerging renal tumor types with eosinophil characteristics such as ESC RCC, LOT, FH-dRCC from traditional renal tumor eosinophil subtypes such as e-ccRCC, e-papRCC, e-chRCC and RO, which is helpful for the differential diagnosis of renal eosinophilic tumors.