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Vol.40 No.7 contents | Japanese/English |
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- Original Article -
Immunohistochemical Studies of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma using the Mesothelium-related Antigens
Hiroshi Izumi1, Toshio Kumasaka1, Hideaki Miyamoto2, Akio Yamazaki2 and Toshimasa Uekusa31Department of First Pathology and, 2Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, 3Department of Laboratory, Labour Welfare Corporation Kanto Rousai Hospital, Kawasaki, Japan
Objectives: We examined immunoreactivity for mesothelium-related antigens and cadherin-family antigens in different histological types of malignant mesothelioma of the pleura. Methods: In 28 cases (19 epithelial type, 5 biphasic type and 4 sarcomatous type) these antibodies were investigated in terms of efficiency of diagnosis of mesothelioma. Controls consisted of 12 cases of pulmonary adenocarcinoma and 5 cases of solitary fibrous tumor. Results: The immunoreactivity rates in mesothelioma for each antigen were as follows: 22/28 (78.6%) for calretinin, 10/28 (35.7%) for thrombomodulin, 16/28 (57.1%) for vimentin, 28/28 (100%) for CAM5.2, 26/28 (92.9%) for N-cadherin, 2/28 (7.1%) for E-cadherin and 1/28 (3.6%) for Ber-Ep4. Sixteen cases of the epithelial type were positive for calretinin, and, in particular cases of tubulopapillary pattern were strongly positive. On the other hand, only four cases of the epithelial type were positive for thrombomodulin. All of biphasic and sarcomatous type cases were strongly positive for vimentin, whereas only 7 cases of the epithelial type were positive. In adenocarcinoma, the positivity rate was low for calretinin, thrombomodulin and vimentin, whereas it was high for E-cadherin and Ber-Ep4; a significant difference in the positivity rate for calretinin, thrombomodulin, vimentin, E-cadherin and Ber-Ep4 being clearly observed between adenocarcinoma and mesothelioma. However, both mesothelioma and adenocarcinoma were highly positive for CAM5.2 and N-cadherin, suggesting little diagnostic efficiency. All cases of solitary fibrous tumor were positive for vimentin and two of these cases were weakly positive for calretinin. However, all cases of solitary fibrous tumor were negative for CAM5.2, thrombomodulin and Ber-Ep4. Conclusion: Our results suggested that not only positive immunoreactivity for calretinin but also negative immunoreactivity for Ber-Ep4 and E-cadherin were important for the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma.
key words: Malignant mesothelioma, Immunohistochemistry, Mesothelium-related antigens, Cadherin-family
Received: June 14, 2000
Accepted: August 3, 2000
JJLC 40 (7): 711-717, 2000
