Turkish Neurosurgery 2002 , Vol 12 , Num 1-2
TRANSFERRIN RECEPTOR EXPRESSION IN INTRACRANIAL MENINGIOMAS
Tanju UÇAR1, İnanç GÜRER2, Mahmut AKYÜZ1, Elif PESTERELİ2
1Akdeniz University Medical School, Neurosurgery Department, Antalya, Turkey
2Akdeniz University Medical School, Pathology Department, Antalya, Turkey
Objective: Recent studies of iron mechanism in the brain have indicated that there may be a relationship between transferrin receptor (TfR) expression and histological malignancy._ TfR expression may also reflect cell proliferation. We investigated TfR staining intensity in intracranial meningiomas, and assessed whether this was related to recurrence and/or malignant proliferation.

Methods: Immunohistochemical techniques were used to assess TfR expression in different types of intracranial meningiomas (n=15) that had been surgically removed. All were primary tumors. The specimens were semiquantitatively scored for staining intensity and proportions of cells stained, and the relationship between TfR immunoscore and recurrence/proliferation was subjectively evaluated.

Results: High levels of TfR expression were observed in all the meningioma subtypes. Three of the 15 cases recurred, and two of these patients died due to intracranial pathology.

Conclusion: Patients with meningiomas that have high TfR immunoscores must be carefully followed for recurrence and/ or malignant transformation. Keywords : Meningioma, recurrence, transferrin receptor (TfR)

Corresponding author : Tanju Uçar, tucar@superonline.com