PDGFRα expression as a novel therapeutic marker in well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors

Figures & data

Table 1. Clinicopathologic features of 77 patients with NEN.

	n = 77
Gender (M) (%)	40 (51.95)
Age (yrs) (M ± SD)	65.31 ± 14.69
Median, (min-max)	68 (24–96)
Localizzation
Stomach	21 (27,27)
Small Intetinal	23 (29,87)
Colon- rectum	6 (7,79)
Appendix vermiforme	5 (6,49)
Pancreas	10 (12,99)
Liver	10 (12,99)
Gallbladder	2 (2,60)
Grade (%)
G1	50 (64.94)
G2	12 (15.58)
G3	15 (19.48)
Pattern Growth (%)
Acinar	17 (22.08)
Insular	31 (40.26)
Trabecolar	14 (18.18)
Poorly differentiated	13 (19.48)
Angioinvasion
Absent	66 (86.00)
Present	11 (14.00)
Lymphocytic infiltration
Absent	66 (86.00)
Present	11 (14.00)

Table 2. Different architectured types releted to site of origine.

	Growth Pattern
	Acinar n(%)	Insular n(%)	Trabecolar n(%)	Total n(%)
Localizzation	(n = 17)	(n = 31)	(n = 14)	(n = 62)	p-value*
Stomach	2 (11.76)	9 (29.03)	7 (50.00)	18 (29.03)	0.115
Small Intestinal	5 (29.41)	13 (41.94)	3 (21.43)	21 (33.87)
Colo-rectum	0 (–)	3 (9.68)	1 (7.14)	4 (6.45)
Appendix	2 (11.76)	1 (3.23)	2 (14.29)	5 (8.06)
Pancreas	4 (23.53)	4 (12.90)	1 (7.14)	9 (14.52)
Liver	2 (11.76)	1 (3.23)	0 (–)	3 (4.84)
Gallbladder	2 (11.76)	0 (–)	0 (–)	2 (3.23)

Table 3. PDGFRα expression on different grade of NEN.

	Categories PDGFRα
	Absent (n = 18)	Present (n = 59)	p-value*
Gender (M) (%)	8 (44.44)	32 (54.24)	0.47
Grade (%)			<0.001
G1	5 (10.00)	45 (90.00)
G2	0 (0.00)	12 (100)
G3	13 (86.67)	2 (13.33)

*Chisquare-test.

Table 4. PDGFRa expression on different grade of NEN.

	Grade
	G1	G2	G3		Comparisons (p-value)^§
	(a)	(b)	(c)	p-value*	(b)vs(a)	(c)vs(a)	(c)vs(b)
Score PDGFRα (%)				<0.001
Absent	5 (10.00)	0 (0.00)	13 (86.67)		0.02	<0.0001	<0.0001
Weak	11 (22.00)	2 (16.67)	0 (0.00)		0.67	0.0004	0.14
Medium	28 (56.00)	3 (25.00)	2 (13.33)		0.04	0.0004	0.46
Strong	6 (12.00)	7 (58.33)	0 (0.00)		0.004	0.01	0.0002

*Chisquare-test

^{^}Fisher’s exact test

^§Test z for proportions.

Table 5. PDGFRα intensity score on neoplastic cells.

	Score PDGFRα
	Absent (0)	Weak (1+)	Medium (2+)	Strong (3+)	p-value *
Grade (G1)
Pattern Growth (%)					<0.001 ^^
Acinar	1 (20.00)	3 (27.27)	11 (39.29)	0 (0.00)
Insular	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	17 (60.71)	6 (100)
Trabecolar	4 (80.00)	8 (72.73)	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)
Grade (G2)
Pattern Growth (%)					0.05 ^^
Acinar	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	1 (33.33)	1 (14.29)
Insular	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	2 (66.67)	6 (85.71)
Trabecolar	0 (0.00)	2 (100)	0 (0.00)	(0.00)
Grade (G3)
Pattern Growth (%)					0.01 ^^
Poorly differentiated	13 (100)	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)
Pattern like insular-acinar	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	2 (100)	0 (0.00)

*Chisquare-test

^{^}Fisher’s exact test

^§Test z for proportions.

Figure 1. Representative patterns of PDGFRα in different architectural types: A) insular solid type B) acinar type C) trabecular type D) poorly-differentiated type. (magnification 20×).

Figure 2. A-B) PDGFRα tissue expression in the insular solid growth pattern C-D) PDGFRα staining localized in the vascular pole of the neuroendocrine cell.

Figure 3. Representative PDGFRα staining in Enterochromaffin (EC) cells with a finely granular positivity with peripheral-membranous enhancement at the vascular pole of neuroendocrine cells.

Figure 4. Association between the PDGFRα score and Ki67 index in NENs patients p < 0.001): Box plots of PDGFRα score and Ki67 index (expression %) *** = p < 0.001.