Expression of heat shock proteins in osteosarcoma and its relationship to prognosis

The prognosis of osteosarcoma has been improved by chemotherapy. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) assist in folding proteins at posttranslation and degeneration under stress. We investigated the effect of HSPs on survival in osteosarcoma. Conventional osteosarcomas of the extremities from 70 patients aged 30 years or younger were used. Preoperational chemotherapy was performed in all cases. Tissues at surgery and biopsy were immunohistochemically stained with anti-HSP27, HSP47, HSP60, HSP70, HSP90 alpha, HSP90 beta, and p53 antibodies. We classified the cases in which more than 10% of tumor cells were positive into the overexpressing group. Overall survival was compared between the groups either overexpressing HSPs or not using Wilcoxon's test and Cox's proportional hazard model. The overexpression rate at biopsy was 22% (HSP27), 88% (HSP47), 66% (HSP60), 48% (HSP70(, 47% (HSP90 alpha), 31% (HSP90 beta), and 17% (p53), respectively. The rate at surgery was 33% (HSP27), 94% (HSP47), 60% (HSP60), 49% (HSP70), 28% (HSP90 alpha), 40% (HSP90 beta), and 17% (p53), respectively. HSP27 and p53 overexpression at biopsy had a negative prognostic value. HSP27 showed the strongest negative prognostic value in osteosarcoma. It is therefore important to investigate further its function in cellular regulation and drug resistance.