title: Anaplastic thyroid tumors. Immunohistology.
abstract: Using an avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technic, the authors studied 29 anaplastic thyroid tumors (ATTs) to determine the frequency of hormonal (thyroglobulin--TG; calcitonin--CT), epithelial (epithelial membrane antigen, monoclonal keratin), or sarcoma (desmin; alpha-1-antichymotrypsin--ACT; vimentin) markers. Their results indicate that 27% of ATTs stain for TG and none for CT. Fifty-five percent showed epithelial markers, 48% marked for ACT, and 47% for vimentin. Coexpression of keratin and vimentin was found in 39% of cases tested. The expression of the tested antigens did not correlate significantly with histologic pattern (epithelial vs. "sarcomatous"). Of note is the fact that 30% of the ATTs the authors tested expressed none of the markers they examined, indicating total lack of differentiation.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000708:Anaplasia / Q000032:analysis* / Q000473:pathology; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000032:analysis; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000032:analysis; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000032:analysis; D004848:Epithelium / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000032:analysis; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000032:analysis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis* / Q000473:pathology; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018396:Mucin-1; D014746:Vimentin; D007633:Keratins; D002116:Calcitonin; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D002918:Chymotrypsin