title: Immunohistochemical study on the distribution of alpha and beta subunits of S-100 protein in brain tumors.
abstract: The immunohistochemical distribution of alpha and beta subunits of S-100 protein (S-100 alpha, S-100 beta, respectively) in 138 cases of human brain tumors was investigated by the avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase method. Brain tumors can be divided into four groups: group 1 [S-100 alpha (+) and/or S-100 beta (+)]; astrocytoma, glioblastoma, ependymoma, subependymoma, oligodendroglioma, choroid plexus papilloma, gangliocytoma, meningioma, chordoma, malignant melanoma. Group 2 [S-100 alpha (+) and S-100 beta (-)]; pineoblastoma, pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma, rhabdomyosarcoma. Group 3 [S-100 alpha (-) and S-100 beta (+)]; acoustic Schwannoma. Group 4 [S-100 alpha (-) and S-100 beta (-)]; medulloblastoma malignant lymphoma, germinoma. The S-100 beta immunoreactivity pattern in brain tumors was similar to those obtained using conventional anti-S-100 protein sera. In the first group of brain tumors both the number of positively stained tumor cells and the staining intensity were generally greater for S-100 beta than for S-100 alpha with a few exceptions including one gemistocytic astrocytoma, one subependymoma, one malignant melanoma, and some cases of glioblastomas. As to the relationship between malignancy and S-100 protein in glioma, S-100 beta immunoreactivity decreased according to degree of malignancy, while that of S-100 alpha varied, suggesting a heterogeneity of tumor cells in glioblastomas. Immunostaining for S-100 alpha and S-100 beta might become a useful diagnostic procedure in brain tumors and may give us more detailed and precise data of S-100 protein in brain tumors.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Pathology, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hoshida
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sonobe
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohtsuki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akagi
mesh_terms: D001360:Avidin; D001710:Biotin; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009418:S100 Proteins; D001360:Avidin; D001710:Biotin