Prognostic Significance of Dicer Cellular Levels in Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Abstract

In the present study we assessed the expression and distribution of endoribonuclease Dicer in soft tissue tumors and correlated its cellular levels with clinicopathological parameters, including clinical outcome. Dicer was expressed in the tested cell line as well as in the majority of the sarcomas examined. Staining intensity was significantly higher in sarcomas compared with benign neoplasms and in high-grade compared with low-grade tumors. Elevated Dicer immunoreactivity was strongly associated with poor outcome and Dicer cellular levels were an independent negative prognostic factor.

Keywords: :

• Dicer
• Tissue microarray
• Soft tissue tumors
• Prognosis

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank Professor Harry C. Blair, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, for reading the manuscript.