Does CD10 expression individuate a GIST subgroup of patients?

AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate expression of CD10 in a series of gastrointestinal tumors (GIST) and to find its relationship with prognosis, biological and clinical behavior. GISTs represent the most frequent gastrointestinal (GI) mesenchymal tumors. Biological behavior of GIST cannot be easily predicted; for this reason many biomolecular factors are being investigated to predict prognosis. Recently the role of the CD10 as prognostic predictor in the carcinogenesis of the gastrointestinal carcinomas has been accurately studied. To our knowledge, no data regarding the role of CD10 in GISTs have been published to date. METHODS: CD10 expression was searched by immunohistochemistry in 29 histological specimens of proved GIST surgically treated. Patients' characteristics and all pathologic features of tumors were statistically reviewed and compared to CD10 expression. Survival analysis was also calculated respect to CD10 expression and relevant clinical or pathological features. RESULTS: CD10 was expressed in 24.1% of cases. There was no correlation between CD10 positivity and risk category, morphology, size or mitosis. The CD10 expression status did not prove to be statistically related to worse prognosis, advanced disease (metastasis) or recurrence, however it was significantly correlated to the tumor site. CONCLUSION: CD10 expression in our series seems to be associated to a small bowel origin of tumor. CD10 expression alone failed to reveal a statistically significant prognostic value. However survival analysis revealed worse prognosis in stomach tumours with mitotic count >10/50 HPF.