Background: CD40, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is capable of mediating the induction of apoptosis in tumors including sarcomas. The expression of proapoptotic receptor contribute to the induction of apoptosis by chemotherapeutic drugs. The present study was undertaken to determine if there is a correlation between the expression of CD40 in spindle-cell sarcomas and the response to epirubicin and ifosfamide chemotherapy.
Patients and methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of CD40 expression was performed on 59 paraffin-embedded archival tissues. Evaluation of objective tumor response was carried out according to the WHO criteria. Correlations with response to chemotherapy and baseline patients' characteristics were investigated using Chi-square tests.
Results: Positive CD40 staining was observed in 42 tumors; it was expressed in < 10% of cells in 14 (24%), in 10 to 50% in 16 (27%) and in more than 50% of cells in 12 (20%) tumors. No significant association was found between CD40 expression, response to chemotherapy and other clinical and pathological characteristics.
Conclusion: CD40 expression in spindle-cell soft tissue sarcomas is not associated with response to ifosfamide plus epirubicin chemotherapy.