The expression of ferritin on renal cancers and its relationship with cellular differentiation and tumour stage.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To investigate ferritin expression in renal carcinoma and the correlation of expression with tumour differentiation and stage. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ferritin was immunohistologically detected in 35 patients (23 men and 12 women; mean age 58.2 years, range 40-82) with renal carcinoma and the findings compared with cellular type, tumour stage and the ferritin expression of a similar control population of 16 patients. RESULTS: The incidence of ferritin expression in renal carcinomas was 51%. Expression was significantly related to tumour stage and not cellular type. CONCLUSION: The results of this study re-emphasize the high expression of ferritin in renal cell carcinoma and the correlation of expression with tumour behaviour.