The Pilot Study of C-jun and TGF-beta Immunoexpression in Relation to the Oldest Cancer Biomarkers – Tumor Histology and Proliferation Rate in Glioblastoma and Neuroblastoma Models of Cancer Disease

Abstract Background Prognostic factors in cancers are believed to be one of the most important discoveries in oncology. However, due to the development of integrated science they are not restricted to morphological anomalies anymore. In everyday routine the light microscope markers are systematically replaced by new ones, especially of immunohistochemical and molecular type. It leads to the question what is the relation of the oldest prognostic parameters to the basic and newly discovered pathways common for cancer disease itself. Objectives The aim of presented studies is to investigate the most modern factors involved in pathological processes in the two models of cancer disease, glioblastoma in adults and neuroblastoma in developmental age to search for potential relation with the established prognostic factors appropriately to the tumor type, including the oldest known light microscope parameters – tumor histology and proliferation rate of cancer cells. Material and methods Immunohistochemical assessment of expression of c-jun in glioblastoma and TGF-beta in neuroblastoma group in relation to chosen histoclinical features: patients’ related (age, gender) and tumor related; including all the widely excepted prognostic parameters regarding the tumor type (location, histological type (neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroblastoma, ganglioneuroma), tumor histology (favorable, unfavorable), Ki-67 index, stage. Results Variations of c-jun immunoexpression were revealed in glioblastoma as well as differences in TGF-beta expression in neuroblastoma regarding the examined histoclinical features. Furthermore, in both cancer groups the levels of the examined protein expression appeared to relate to cancer cell proliferation estimated by the established parameter – Ki67 indices. Conclusions In both models of cancer disease, glioblastoma in adults and neuroblastoma in developmental age there is a crossing of pathways of the oldest and the newest cancer disease markers. Although integrated science offers the most advanced approaches it is important to consider the old established prognostic parameters in prognostication in individual, especially doubtful cases.