Immunoexpression of Snail, Twist1 and Slug in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC) represent about 80% of the malignant neoplasia with this localization. Snail, Twist1 and Slug are transcription factors and play a central role in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is involved in the progression of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In this study, we analyzed the immunoexpression of these transcription factors in 50 cases of ccRCC, in relation to histopathological aggressiveness parameters of the lesions. The results indicated the association of Snail and Twist1 expression with high Fuhrman grade, as well as the association of Slug expression with low Fuhrman grade. The immunoexpression of Snail and Twist1 was significantly superior for advanced stages and Slug was overexpressed in early stages of ccRCC. Our study supports the usefulness of the Snail, Twist1 and Slug expression for the appreciation of aggressiveness in ccRCC, the panel being attractive for targeted therapy.