title: Prognostic significance of vimentin positivity in formalin-fixed renal cell carcinomas.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to determine whether vimentin immunoreactivity was of prognostic relevance using the PAP-method on formalin-fixed tissue from 94 renal cell carcinomas (RCC). The vimentin expression was compared with tumour stage, histological grade of malignancy, and survival data. In 28 cases (30%), the tumour cells showed a vimentin positivity. This group showed a more unfavourable prognosis than the vimentin-negative group. Differences were also seen in stage T 3 tumours. The percentages of vimentin-positive cases increased with the grade of malignancy. Vimentin-positive cases showed a particularly unfavourable course in the G 3-group of carcinomas. In individual cases, the prognostic value of vimentin expression is limited by a decreased sensitivity and specificity. In addition, the presence of immunoreactivity apparently is not independent of conventional histological criteria of tumour grading.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University of Essen, FRG.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Donhuijsen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schulz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014746:Vimentin; D005557:Formaldehyde