Immunohistochemical detection of follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in neuroendocrine tumours.

INTRODUCTION Follicle stimulating hormone receptors (FSHR) are well known to be expressed in gonads and in gonadal tumours. Recently,their incidence has also been revealed in endocrine non-gonadal tumours such as adrenal and pituitary tumours. Moreover, FSHR immunostaininghas also been reported in endothelium of intra- and peritumoral blood vessels of a large series of cancers. The presentpaper reports on the incidence of FSHR in both tumoral cells and some intratumoral blood vessels of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixteen NETs samples were taken from 14 patients. The tumour samples were immunostained using the antibodyraised against 1-190 amino acid sequence from the human FSH-R and anti-Ki67 antibody. RESULTS In all the samples examined, the majority of tumoral cells were immunostained with anti-FSHR antibody. Positive immunostainingconcerned also the intratumoral blood vessels endothelia in a half of the examined samples. Immunopositive blood vessels were foundmore often in tumours with higher Ki-67 index. CONCLUSION FSHR expressed in NETs, if they are functional, may mediate the signals which can enhance further tumour growth.