Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 27, Issue 6 384-388, Copyright © 1997 by Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research
S Horie, M Kano, E Higashihara, N Moriyama, E Tanaka, A Hirose, T Kakizoe and K Kawabe
We have investigated whether the Fas-mediated cell death pathway is
functional in renal cell carcinoma. The expression of Fas in surgical
specimens and cell lines of renal cell carcinoma was examined. Fas
expression was positive in six out of 18 tumors measured by flow cytometry
and was prominent in advanced tumors. Three out of the six Fas-positive
tumors had already metastasized at the time of surgery. A significant
correlation was found between the tumor volume and the percentage of
Fas-positive cells in a tumor (r = 0.70, P = 0.0007). Fas-positive tumors
were larger than Fas-negative tumors [mean tumor volume (ml) +/- SD,
Fas(+), 265.6 +/- 136.8; Fas(-), 65.8 +/- 80.9, P = 0.0012]. All human
renal carcinoma cell lines tested (ACHN, Caki-1, SMKT-R-2, SMKT-R-3 and
SMKT-R-4) expressed Fas abundantly, as Fas-positive cells accounted for
> 50% in all cell lines by flow cytometry. Treatment with anti-Fas
antibody caused apoptosis in Fas-positive renal cell carcinoma cell lines.
However, the effectiveness of apoptosis induction in individual cell lines
was not correlated with the level of Fas expressed. These data suggest that
Fas targeting may be a therapeutic option for treatment of advanced renal
cell carcinoma which is refractory to either chemotherapy or irradiation.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Expression of Fas in renal cell carcinoma
Division of Urology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. shorie@gan2.ncc.go.jp
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