title: Simultaneous immunoenzyme staining of vimentin and cytokeratins with monoclonal antibodies as an aid in the differential diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma from pulmonary adenocarcinoma.
abstract: The occurrence and coexpression of the cytoskeletal proteins vimentin and cytokeratins were studied in malignant mesotheliomas and pulmonary carcinomas. For this purpose a double immunoenzyme staining with monoclonal antibodies was developed which made it possible to visualize vimentin and cytokeratins simultaneously within the same cell. A clear distinction between stromal cells (vimentin only) and tumour cells was also obtained. A total of 12 mesotheliomas (six mixed type and six epithelioid type) and 13 carcinomas (eight adenocarcinomas and five large cell undifferentiated carcinomas) were studied. The results revealed a clear difference between mesotheliomas and adenocarcinomas: 11 of 12 mesotheliomas showed coexpression of vimentin and cytokeratins in at least 50% of the tumour cells, while in seven of the eight adenocarcinomas none or only a few cells could be seen with this coexpression. In the undifferentiated large cell carcinomas three of five expressed both components, but in less than 25% of the cells. It is concluded that a reliable double immunoenzyme staining of vimentin and cytokeratins can be used as an additional means to distinguish malignant mesothelioma from pulmonary adenocarcinoma.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014746:Vimentin; D007633:Keratins