CD133 in combination with ALDH1 can be used as putative cancer stem cell markers in bladder carcinomas

Introduction:In this study the clinical significance of CD133 expression as CSC marker in combinationwith other putative marker (ALDH1) in bladder cancer was evaluated.Material & Method:A series of bladder tumors including 107(62%) high grade and 66(38%) low grade whichwere included in tissue microarray (TMA) were examined for the expression of CD133 andALDH1 using immunohistochemistry. The correlation of expression of these markers withclinicopathological parameters was also evaluated.Results:Of 161stained cores, elevated level of CD133 and ALDH1 was observed in 32% (52) and 15% (25) of tumours, respectively. The average intensity of CD133 expression (mean = 2.17)was higher than ALDH1 expression (mean = 0.7). The mean H-score of CD133 and ALDH1was 147and 8.4, respectively. The expression of CD133 was significantly associated withtumor size (P=0.049). The combination of CD133/ALDH1 H-score was associated withhistologic grade (P=0.000), laminapropria involvement, muscular invasion and recurrence (allP < 0.05). The intensity of CD133/ALDH1expresssin was related to histologic grade,mascular invasion, tumor size (all P=0.000) and lamina propria involvement (p=0.008).Conclusion:Our study showed that the ALDH1+ population is a subset of the CD133+ bladder cancercells. The ALDH1+ cancer cells, therefore, accounted for a fraction of CD133+ tumor cellpopulation. CD133 in combination with other putative stem cell marker, ALDH1can be avaluable tool for the study of urothelial CSCs. Indeed, the CD133+/ALDH1+ phenotypeprovide a useful combined marker to predict clinical outcome and act as novel therapeutictarget for treatment of the patients with urothelial carcinomas.

کلیدواژه ها:

CD133 ، ALDH1 ، CSCs ، Bladder Carcinoma