Uroplakin is not a Reliable Immunohistochemical Marker for Malignant Mesothelioma of the Pleura
Friday, June 6th, 2008.
Applied immunohistochemistry & molecular morphology. 2008 Jun 3. [Epub ahead of print] [Link]
Butnor KJ, Ordonez NG.
*The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT †M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Abstract
Aim: To analyze the immunohistochemical expression of uroplakin (URO) in pleural malignant mesothelioma (PMM).
Methods and Results: We analyzed URO expression in PMM using similar immunohistochemical techniques at 2 separate institutions. At an antibody dilution of 1:10, 0/5 PMMs were immunoreactive for URO. At 1:8, diffuse weak cytoplasmic staining was seen in all 38 PMMs tested, but no membrane staining was observed. Adjacent nontumor tissue and positive control tissue showed cytoplasmic staining of equivalent intensity. Similar staining results were observed in 27 PMMs at a 1:5 dilution.
Conclusions: At an antibody dilution for which positive and negative control tissues stain appropriately, PMM does not stain for URO. At higher antibody concentrations, PMM exhibits nonspecific cytoplasmic staining. We assert that URO is not a useful immunohistochemical marker for the detection of PMM. Further studies addressing whether URO is overexpressed at the mRNA level in PMM are warranted.
Glossary
- detection
- finding disease. Early detection means that the disease is found at an early stage, before it has grown large or spread to other sites. Note many forms of cancer can reach an advanced stage without causing symptoms. Mammography can help to find breast cancer early, and the PSA blood test is useful in finding prostate cancer.
- cancer
- malignancy; a group of diseases typified by abnormal, generally out-of-control, cell growth.
- antibody
- a protein in the blood that defends against foreign agents, such as bacteria. These agents contain certain substances called antigens. Each antibody works against a specific antigen. (See also antigen.)
- tissue
- a collection of cells, united to perform a particular function.
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
