Value of Immunohistochemical Expression of Apelin, Succinate Dehydrogenase B, Chromogranin B, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2, Contactin 4, and Succinyl-CoA Synthetase Subunit Beta in Differentiating Metastatic From Non-Metastatic Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Apr 28:13:882906. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.882906. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to retrospectively collect pathologically identified pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) tumor tissues from our center and investigate the expression of apelin and succinyl-CoA synthetase subunit beta (SUCLG2), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2 or ERBB-2), contactin 4 (CNTN4), chromogranin B (CHGB), and succinate dehydrogenase B (SDHB) in metastatic and non-metastatic PPGLs, for exploring their roles in the diagnosis of metastatic PPGLs.

Methods: A total of 369 patients with pathologically and surgically confirmed PPGLs at Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, between June 2010 and June 2020 were retrospectively included. Sixty patients-12 patients with metastatic PPGLs and 48 patients with non-metastatic PPGLs-were selected through propensity score matching (1:4) to reduce the effect of PPGL type, sex, and age. We observed and quantified the expression of apelin, SDHB, CHGB, ERBB-2, CNTN4, and SUCLG2 in paraffin-embedded samples using immunohistochemical staining.

Results: No significant differences were observed between the metastatic group and non-metastatic group with respect to the expression of CNTN4 and SUCLG2. The expression of apelin, SDHB, CHGB, and ERBB-2 was significantly different between the two groups. The expression of apelin, SDHB, and CHGB was significantly lower in the metastatic group than that in the non-metastatic group (P < 0.001). ERBB-2 expression was significantly higher in the metastatic group than in the non-metastatic group (P = 0.042). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with negative expression of apelin, SDHB, and CHGB showed significantly lower metastasis-free survival than those with positive expression. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that SDHB and CHGB levels were independently associated with metastasis-free survival.

Conclusion: The expression levels of apelin, CHGB, SDHB, and ERBB-2 may be predictive biomarkers for the diagnosis of metastatic PPGLs. Patients with negative expression of apelin, CHGB, and SDHB should be subjected to frequent postoperative follow-up procedures.

Keywords: SUCLG2; apelin; immunohistochemistry; metastasis; paraganglioma; pheochromocytoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acyl Coenzyme A
  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Apelin / metabolism
  • Chromogranin B / metabolism
  • Contactins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Ligases / metabolism
  • Neuroblastoma*
  • Paraganglioma* / pathology
  • Pheochromocytoma* / pathology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Succinate Dehydrogenase / metabolism

Substances

  • Acyl Coenzyme A
  • Apelin
  • CHGB protein, human
  • Chromogranin B
  • Contactins
  • succinyl-coenzyme A
  • Succinate Dehydrogenase
  • Ligases