Creatine kinase subunits M and B as markers in the diagnosis of poorly differentiated rhabdomyosarcomas in children.
Antibodies against the M and B subunits of creatine kinase were assessed for their usefulness in the diagnosis of poorly differentiated rhabdomyosarcoma. Routinely processed formaldehyde-fixed tissue and the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique were used. The majority of the poorly differentiated and all of the moderately and well-differentiated rhabdomyosarcomas studied showed immunostaining for the M subunit. The rhabdomyoblastic component of malignant "triton" tumors was also positive. Staining, although weak compared with that of the rhabdomyosarcomas, was also observed in a few leiomyosarcomas, hemangioendotheliosarcomas, malignant fibrous histiocytomas, and ganglioneuroblastomas. On the other hand, staining for the B subunit was seen in many types of soft tissue tumors, including rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and (ganglio)neuroblastoma. The results indicate that creatine kinase subunit M is a useful marker for distinguishing poorly differentiated rhabdomyosarcoma from other types of small round cell tumors in children, such as neuroblastoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and malignant lymphoma.
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000032:analysis*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes; D012016:Reference Values; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007527:Isoenzymes; D003402:Creatine Kinase