Value of antimesothelioma HBME-1 in the diagnosis of inflammatory and malignant pleural effusions
Friday, March 30th, 2007.
Romanian Journal of Morphology and Embryology. 2006;47(4):351-5. [Link]
Mocanu L, Cîmpean AM, Raica M.
Department of Clinical Laboratory, County Hospital of Sibiu, and Department of Histology, Victor Babeş University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timişoara, Romania. lcmocanu@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract
Pleural effusions occur in many benign and malignant conditions. The differentiation of mesothelial hyperplasia, malignant epithelial mesothelioma and metastatic adenocarcinoma in cytologic specimens is often difficult. Because many immunohistochemical studies had suggested that HBME-1 has a high sensibility but a low specificity for mesothelial differentiation, the authors investigate its utility in cytological specimens. In this study, immunostaining was performed on 30 smears from seven patients with inflammatory pleural effusions, 21 patients with metastatic pleural effusions and two patients with malignant epithelial mesothelioma. The immunoreactivity was evaluated by two independent observers. Benign mesothelial cells expressed HBME-1 in 13 (46.43%) cases with thick and thin membrane pattern and with thin membrane and cytoplasmic pattern in 11 (39.29%) cases. One of the malignant mesothelioma was positive for HBME-1 with thick and thin membrane pattern. Metastatic tumor cells were positive for HBME-1 in seven (33.33%) cases; the staining pattern in metastatic adenocarcinoma cells was thin membrane and focal cytoplasmic. HBME-1 has a moderate sensibility and specificity for mesothelial cells and can be used as part of a panel for differentiation of malignant and reactive mesothelial cells from adenocarcinoma in pleural effusions.
Glossary
- adenocarcinoma
- (add-en-o car-sin-o-muh). Cancer that starts in the glandular tissue, such as in the ducts or lobules of the breast.
- hyperplasia
- (hy-per-PLAY-zuh) too much growth of cells or tissue in a specific area, such as the lining of the breast ducts or the prostate. By itself, hyperplasia is not cancerous, but when there is a lot of growth or the cells are not like normal cells, the risk of cancer developing is greater.
- differentiation
- (dif-er-en-she-A-shun) the normal process through which cells mature so they can carry out the jobs they were meant to do. Cancer cells are poorly differentiated.
- benign
- (be-nine) not cancer; not malignant.
- tumor
- an abnormal lump or mass of tissue. Tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
