Glucose transporter 1 protein detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and immunocytochemistry

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) is a hallmark of metabolic change in cancer cells. The objective of this study was to determine the role of GLUT1 protein in diagnosing malignant pleural effusions by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunocytochemistry. METHODS: In total, 82 pleural effusions were collected and classified as benign (n 5 42), atypical (n 5 8), or malignant (n 5 32) based on cytologic diagnosis and etiology. GLUT1 protein levels in effusions were measured by ELISA. GLUT1 expression also was determined by immunocytochemistry using cell blocks.RESULTS: GLUT1 levels were significantly higher in the malignant group compared with the benign group. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of benign and malignant pleural effusions for GLUT1 yielded an area under the curve of 0.77, with a value of 1355.87 pg=dL as the optimal threshold for distinguishing benign from malignant effusions. With the ELISA method, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 78.1%, 69%, and 73%, respectively. Malignant effusion cell blocks were positive for GLUT1 expression in 84.4% of cases with 100% specificity and 93.2% accuracy. With the combination of high GLUT1 protein levels (>10,000 pg=dL) and immunocytochemistry to detect malignant pleural effusions, the sensitivity and accuracy increased to 93.8% and 94.6%, respectively. The GLUT1 level measured by ELISA and the GLUT1 expression detected by immunocytochemistry were positively correlated. In atypical effusions, 3 cases (37.5%) had GLUT1 levels higher than the cutoff value. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of GLUT1 protein by ELISA and immunocytochemistry may have utility in the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusions. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2013;121:695-702. V C 2013 American Cancer Society.

The cell block method increases the diagnostic yield in exudative pleural effusions accompanying lung cancer

“…Liao et al studied glucose transporter 1(GLUT 1) expression, which is a hallmark metabolic change in cancer cells, using immunocytochemistry on cell blocks in benign, atypical, or malignant pleural eff usions. Th ey determined that malignant eff usion cell blocks were positive for GLUT 1 expression in 84.4% of cases with a 100% specifi city and 93.2% accuracy (25). Khoor et al evaluated the expression of TTF-1 on cell blocks in malignant pleural eff usions, 26 pulmonary adenocarcinomas, 26 non-pulmonary adenocarcinomas and 4 malignant mesotheliomas.…”

The significance of detecting glucose transporter 1 and calretinin in serous effusions to differentiate between carcinoma cells and reactive mesothelial cells

“…In summary, the expression of GLUT1 may be regard as a potential marker of malignant tumors. Some authors have also examined the use of GLUT1 as a marker to detect malignant cells in serous effusions and with resemble results 19,20 . In present study, we investigated GLUT1 reactivity by ICC in serous effusion cell blocks and the result showed that the positive composition were 168 of 183 malignant effusions, 5 of 95 benign effusions, the sensitivity and specificity were 91.8% and 94.7%, respectively.…”