Prognostic Value of Apoptosis-Inducing Factor (AIF) in Germ Cell Tumors

Katarina Letkovska; Pavel Babal; Zuzana Cierna; Silvia Schmidtova; Veronika Liskova; Katarína Kalavska; Vera Miskovska; Samuel Horak; Katarina Rejlekova; Michal Chovanec; Jozef Mardiak; Pavel Janega; Michal Mego

doi:10.3390/cancers13040776

Cancers (Feb 2021)

Prognostic Value of Apoptosis-Inducing Factor (AIF) in Germ Cell Tumors

Katarina Letkovska,
Pavel Babal,
Zuzana Cierna,
Silvia Schmidtova,
Veronika Liskova,
Katarína Kalavska,
Vera Miskovska,
Samuel Horak,
Katarina Rejlekova,
Michal Chovanec,
Jozef Mardiak,
Pavel Janega,
Michal Mego

Affiliations

Katarina Letkovska: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 813 72 Bratislava, Slovakia
Pavel Babal: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 813 72 Bratislava, Slovakia
Zuzana Cierna: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 813 72 Bratislava, Slovakia
Silvia Schmidtova: Translational Research Unit, 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, National Cancer Institute, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
Veronika Liskova: Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
Katarína Kalavska: Translational Research Unit, 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, National Cancer Institute, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
Vera Miskovska: 1st Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, St. Elisabeth Cancer Institute, 812 50 Bratislava, Slovakia
Samuel Horak: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 813 72 Bratislava, Slovakia
Katarina Rejlekova: 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, National Cancer Institute, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
Michal Chovanec: 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, National Cancer Institute, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
Jozef Mardiak: 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, National Cancer Institute, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
Pavel Janega: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 813 72 Bratislava, Slovakia
Michal Mego: Translational Research Unit, 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, National Cancer Institute, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13040776
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 4
p. 776

Abstract

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Apoptosis is a strictly regulated process essential for preservation of tissue homeostasis. This study aimed to evaluate expression of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) in testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) and to correlate expression patterns with clinicopathological variables. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens of non-neoplastic testicular tissue and GCTs obtained from 216 patients were included in the study. AIF expression was detected by immunohistochemistry, scored by the multiplicative quickscore method (QS). Normal testicular tissue exhibits higher cytoplasmic granular expression of AIF compared to GCTs (mean QS = 12.77 vs. 4.80, p p = 0.048). We observed significantly lower AIF expression in GCTs compared to normal testicular tissue, which is an uncommon finding in malignant tumors. AIF downregulation might represent one of the mechanisms of inhibition of apoptosis and promotion of cell survival in GCTs.

Published in Cancers

ISSN: 2072-6694 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cancers/

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