Chemokine expression in tumor-to-tumor metastasis

Abstract

Abstract. Chemokines play an important role in cancer metastasis by modulating the directional cell movement and migration of tumor cells. The most commonly overexpressed chemokine receptor in human cancer is CXCR4. Once activated by its ligand CXCL12 (stromal cell-derived factor-1 ligand/SDF1), CXCR4 stimulates several key migratory, proliferative and survival signaling cellular pathways. CXCR4 is expressed in small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cells and other tumors. To further characterize the role of chemokines in tumor-to-tumor metastasis, we analyzed the tissue expression of CXCR4 and CXCL12 in the surgical specimen of a patient with this phenomenon. We performed immunohistochemical analysis for the expression of CXCR4 and CXCL12 in metastatic tumor tissue of a 69-year-old Caucasian male with extensive SCLC metastatic to a renal oncocytoma. The oncocytoma tissue harboring SCLC showed CXCL12 expression, but not CXCR4. A high expression of the two molecules was found in a normal renal parenchymal control. Our results suggest that CXCR4 and CXCL12 plays a role in this condition, but their expression may be affected by the microenvironment of the harboring malignancy. Further characterization of these phenomena is needed to shed light on the biological mechanisms of tumor metastasis.

Tumor-to-tumor metastasis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma to gastric adenocarcinoma via CXCL12 (SDF-1)/CXCR4 axis: a case report

“…As for the mechanism by which one tumor metastasizes into another, it is reasonable to implicate the involvement of specific chemokines since a particular chemokine-receptor pair can serve as tissue-specific attractant molecules for tumor cells, promoting tumor cell migration to particular sites [ 7 – 9 ]. For example, a potential chemokine-receptor pair was examined by immunohistochemical staining in a patient with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) metastasizing to renal oncocytoma (RO) [ 10 ]. The SCLC cells were positive for CXCL12/SDF-1; however, both SCLC and RC cells were negative for CXCR4.…”

Cancer metastases to meningioma: apropos two cases

“…The pathomechanism of TTTM is still unresolved, however several ideas exist including: metabolic, vascular, hormonal, immunologic and molecular [2,6,26]. TTTM to meningiomas can also represent a special type of meningeal metastasis.…”

“…In the case of metastases to meningioma, the rich vascular network of a meningioma provides a particular ly susceptible medium to receive a hematogenous metastasis [19,23]. The possible role of chemokine receptor CXCR4 cooperating with CXCL12 is suggest ed [26]. Certain chemokines serve as tissuespecific attractant molecules for tumour cells, promoting cell migration to a particular site.…”

“…Certain chemokines serve as tissuespecific attractant molecules for tumour cells, promoting cell migration to a particular site. Chemokine expression is involved in cancer metastasis by modulating neo plastic cell movement, migration and homing [7,26]. The molecular recognition theory is exemplified by HER2positive breast cancer and its higher rate of metastases to the brain where HER2 is expressed [27].…”