RECEPTOR ACTIVATOR OF NUCLEAR FACTOR KAPPA BETA (RANK) EXPRESSION IS A PROGNOSTIC FACTOR IN HUMAN OSTEOSARCOMA

Summary StatementRANK is expressed in 18% of human osteosarcomas and is likely to provide additional prognostic information for clinical purposes in osteosarcoma patients at the time of diagnosis.IntroductionThe receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa (RANK), a member of the tumor necrosis factor family, is activated by its ligand and regulates the differentiation of osteoclasts and dendritic cells. Local growth of osteosarcoma involves destruction of the host bone by osteoclasts and proteolytic mechanisms. Although prognosis of osteosarcoma has been improved by chemotherapy during the last decades, the problem of non responders and the lack of prognostic markers remains. It is the aim of this study to investigate the prognostic and predictive value of RANK expression in human osteosarcoma.Patients & MethodsThe expression of RANK was examined immunohistochemically in biopsies of 43 patients (mean age 25.7 years) with high grade osteosarcoma and the results were correlated with histologic response to ch...