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Immunohistochemical evaluation of erbB-2 and p53 protein expression in benign and atypical human meningiomas

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Abstract

Meningiomas arise from the arachnoidal cells surrounding the brain and are one of the most common tumors of the central nervous system. These tumors are known to be hormonally modulated and may occur in association with breast carcinoma. Overexpression of the erbB-2 oncogene product and mutation of the tumor suppressor p53 gene are considered causal driving forces in the pathogenesis of adenocarcinomas of the breast. To determine whether abnormal expression of these genes also plays a role in the pathogenesis of meningiomas, we analyzed the expression of the erbB-2 and p53 proteins in 17 atypical and 35 typical meningioma tissue specimens by immunohistochemistry. The staining intensity was assigned a relative value of 0 to 5+, where 5+ denoted confluent immunoreactivity, 4+ to 1+ denoted varying degrees of focal positivity, and 0 denoted no evidence of staining. Levels of p53 and erbB-2 immunohistochemical staining were then correlated with tumor histology. For p53 immunoreactivity, typical meningiomas had a median staining score of 1.0, compared to 4.0 for atypical meningiomas (P < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney U test). For erbB-2 immunoreactivity, typical meningiomas had a median staining score of 5.0 compared to 1.0 for atypical meningiomas (P < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney U test). The inverse relationship between levels of erbB-2 and p53 immunoreactivity was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.0001, ANOVA). Expression of the erbB-2 protein was not associated with gene amplification or the presence of activating mutations in the transmembrane region of the protein. These findings may improve our understanding of the molecular events that occur in the neoplastic transformation of meningothelial cells. The patterns of erbB-2 and p53 immunoreactivity may prove to be useful markers with which to identify potentially more malignant meningiomas.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Deborah L. Benzil

    Present address: Department of Neurosurgery, New York Medical College, 10595, Valhalla, NY

  2. John C. Pezzullo

    Present address: Georgetown University Medical Center, 20007, Washington, DC

  3. Sydney D. Finkelstein

    Present address: Department of Pathology, Presbyterian University Hospital and University of Pittsburgh, 15213, Pittsburgh, PA

  4. Paul W. Finch

    Present address: Ruttenberg Cancer Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 10029, New York, NY, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, 02903, Providence, Rhode Island

    Bruce S. Chozick, Deborah L. Benzil, Neville W. Knuckey, Mel H. Epstein & Paul W. Finch

  2. Department of Pathology, Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, 02903, Providence, Rhode Island

    Ed G. Stopa & Sydney D. Finkelstein

  3. Center for Information Technology, Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, 02903, Providence, Rhode Island

    John C. Pezzullo

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  1. Bruce S. Chozick
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Chozick, B.S., Benzil, D.L., Stopa, E.G. et al. Immunohistochemical evaluation of erbB-2 and p53 protein expression in benign and atypical human meningiomas. J Neuro-Oncol 27, 117–126 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00177474

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