A comprehensive comparative analysis of the histomorphological features of ALK-rearranged lung adenocarcinoma based on driver oncogene mutations: frequent expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers than other genotype

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 23;8(10):e76999. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076999. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Molecular classification of lung cancer correlates well with histomorphological features. However, specific histomorphological features that differentiate anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged tumors from ALK-negative tumors have not been fully evaluated. Eighty ALK-rearranged and 213 ALK-negative (91 epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated; 29 K-ras-mutated; 93 triple-negative) resected lung adenocarcinomas were analyzed for several histomorphological parameters and histological subtype. ALK-rearranged tumors were associated with younger age at presentation, frequent nodal metastasis, and higher stage of disease at diagnosis. ALK-rearranged tumors were more likely to show a solid predominant pattern than ALK-negative tumors (43.8%; 35/80; p<0.001). Unlike ALK-negative tumors, a lepidic predominant pattern was not observed in ALK-rearranged tumors (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, the most significant morphological features that distinguished ALK-rearranged tumors from ALK-negative tumors were cribriform formation (odds ratio [OR], 3.253; p = 0.028), presence of mucin-containing cells (OR, 4.899; p = 0.008), close relationship to adjacent bronchioles (OR, 5.361; p = 0.001), presence of psammoma bodies (OR, 4.026; p = 0.002), and a solid predominant pattern (OR, 13.685; p = 0.023). ALK-rearranged tumors exhibited invasive histomorphological features, aggressive behavior and frequent expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers (loss of E-cadherin and expression of vimentin) compared with other genotype (p = 0.015). Spatial proximity between bronchus and ALK-rearranged tumors and frequent solid histologic subtype with p63 expression may cause diagnostic difficulties to differentiate squamous cell carcinoma in the small biopsy, whereas p40 was rarely expressed in ALK-rearranged adenocarcinoma. Knowledge of these features may improve the diagnostic accuracy and lead to a better understanding of the characteristic behavior of ALK-rearranged tumors.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics*
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism*
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology*
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / genetics*
  • Female
  • Genes, erbB-1 / genetics
  • Genes, ras / genetics
  • Histological Techniques
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / genetics
  • Odds Ratio
  • Phenotype*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Republic of Korea

Substances

  • ALK protein, human
  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid from the Korea Healthcare technology Research & Development project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (A111405). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.