High filamin A expression in adrenocortical carcinomas is associated with a favourable tumor behaviour: a European multicentric study

Rosa Catalano, Barbara Altieri, Anna Angelousi, Maura Arosio, Francesca Bravi, Letizia Canu, Giorgio Croci, Mario Detomas, Emanuela Esposito, Emanuele Ferrante, Stefano Ferrero, Carmina Fuss, Gregory Kaltsas, Otilia Kimpel, Laura-Sophie Landwehr, Michaela Luconi, Valentina Morelli, Gabriella Nesi, Emma Nozza, Silviu SbieraAndreea L. Serban, Cristina L. Ronchi, Giovanna Mantovani*, Erika Peverelli*

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

The insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) promotes cell growth by overactivating the IGF system in an autocrine loop in adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs). The cytoskeleton protein filamin A (FLNA) acts as a repressor of IGF2 mitogenic signalling in ACC cells. The aims of this study were to test FLNA expression by immunohistochemistry in 119 ACCs and 26 adrenocortical adenomas (ACAs) and to evaluate its relationship with clinicopathological features and outcome in ACCs. We found that 71.4% of ACCs did not express FLNA, whereas FLNA absence was a rare event in ACAs (15.4%, p < 0.001 vs. ACCs). In addition, the expression of FLNA was associated with a less aggressive tumour behaviour in ACCs. Indeed, the subgroup of ACCs with high FLNA showed a lower ENSAT stage, Weiss score, and S-GRAS score compared to ACCs with low FLNA expression (p < 0.05). Moreover, patients with high FLNA had a longer overall survival than those with low FLNA (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our data suggest that FLNA may represent a “protective” factor in ACCs, and the integration of FLNA immunohistochemical expression in ACC tissues along with other clinical and molecular markers could be helpful to improve diagnostic accuracy and prognosis prediction in ACCs.
Original languageEnglish
Article number16573
Number of pages13
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume24
Issue number23
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Nov 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding:
This research was funded by an AIRC (Associazione Italiana Ricerca Cancro) grant to E.P. (IG 2021-25920), by a Progetti di Ricerca di Interesse Nazionale (PRIN) grant to E.P. (2017N8CK4K), and by Ricerca Corrente Funds from the Italian Ministry of Health to Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico.

Keywords

  • filamin A
  • IGF2
  • adrenocortical carcinoma
  • molecular marker
  • ACC prognostic factor

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