title: Endodermal sinus tumor: immunophenotypic expression of a carcinoma.
abstract: A series of five endodermal sinus tumors was studied for their cytoskeletal and other phenotypic markers. They included 2 ovarian, 2 testicular, and 1 inguinal tumors. The cytoskeletal expression was also studied by gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Every tumor was diffusely and strongly immunostained for cytokeratin. By SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting, cytokeratins 8 & 18 were detected. Vimentin was focally coexpressed in 4 cases. The stroma was diffusely immunostained for vimentin. None of them expressed desmin, neurofilament, or glial filament protein. Desmoplakin was expressed only in one ovarian tumor. Alpha-fetoprotein and S-100 protein were also diffusely positive among the neoplastic cells; intracytoplasmic globules were especially strongly immunostained. These findings suggest that endodermal sinus tumors represent a group of pure malignant epithelial neoplasms, and may be regarded as primitive carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D051180:Desmoplakins; D018240:Endodermal Sinus Tumor / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C495294:DSP protein, human; D051180:Desmoplakins; D009418:S100 Proteins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins