Abstract:

Objective   To investigate the expression of D2-40 in thymic epithelial tumors (TET) and its significance in tumor invasion and prognosis. Methods   Immunohistochemical method was used to assess the expression of D2-40 in 160 samples of thymic epithelial tumors and 40 samples of normal thymuses. All cases were followed-up for more than 5 years after operation. Statistics softwares were used to analyze the correlation between the expression of D2-40 and the tumor invasion and prognosis. Results   The positive rate of D2-40 expression in 160 TET and 40 normal thymuses were 58.8%(94/160) and 20%(8/40) respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.013). The expression of D2-40 in TET was correlated with the invasion of TET (P<0.01). The 5-year-survival rates of the patients in the D2-40 expression positive group and the negative group were 32% and 90% respectively (P<0.01). Conclusion   Expression of D2-40 is higher in the TET than in the normal thymus, which correlates with the aggression of TET. The patients with D2-40 positive expression have worse prognosis.

Key words:  D2-40; Thymic epithelial tumor; Aggression; Prognosis