The Expression of Progesterone Receptors in Meningiomas of Different Grades
Abstract
Background: Meningiomas are slow growing intracranial and intraspinal neoplasms with a tendency to recur locally. WHO grades them as I (benign), II (atypical) and III (anaplastic) in order of their increasing aggressiveness, based on histological parameters and brain parenchymal invasion. Progesterone receptors (PR) are more prevalent amongst the lower grade meningiomas. The objective of this study was to determine the immunohistochemical expression of progesterone receptors in meningiomas of different grades.
Material and Methods: A total of 100 cases were selected over a period of 2.5 years. Three to five microns’ thick sections stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin were examined microscopically by a team of two Histopathologists and graded into grades I, II and III, according to 2016 WHO classification criteria. Another section of the original tumor was stained with progesterone receptor antibody using the conventional immunoperoxidase method. Stained slides were than examined by the same team of Histopathologists and declared positive (if nuclear staining was observed in more than 10% of tumor cells) or negative. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 21.
Results: Out of a total of 100 cases of meningioma, there were 79 cases of benign/typical WHO grade I, 15 cases of atypical/ WHO grade II and 6 cases of anaplastic/ WHO grade III tumor. PR status was positive in 89.8 % (71/79) of grade I meningiomas and 46.6 % (7/15) of grade II/Atypical meningiomas. The 06 cases of Anaplastic/WHO grade III tumors were negative for PR. There was a higher prevalence of Progesterone receptors in female patients (89.8%; 53/59) as compared to male meningioma patients (60.9%; 25/41).
Conclusion: We observed a decreased expression of progesterone receptor in higher grades of meningioma in this study. It is an effort to explore conservative treatment options for inoperable lesions, as anti-progesterone therapy may hold a promise as a new treatment option in the near future.
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