title: Transbronchial biopsy in lymphangiomyomatosis of the lung. HMB45 for diagnosis.
abstract: We have investigated the presence of smooth muscle cells with immunoreactivity for melanoma-related marker HMB45 in pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis (PLAM). Of 75 lung specimens, including a variety of lesions (obtained with both transbronchial and open lung biopsies), only PLAM (six specimens from three patients) showed the presence of HMB45-positive cells. In addition, 20 specimens of normal lung were unreactive with this monoclonal antibody. It is concluded that the smooth muscle cells of PLAM regularly exhibit a peculiar phenotype, characterized by HMB45 immunoreactivity, distinct from other smooth muscle proliferations; and the histological diagnosis of PLAM can be made when only a transbronchial biopsy is available.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Anatomia Patologica, Università di Verona, Italia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Chiodera
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pea
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martignoni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bosi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zamboni
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Mariuzzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018192:Lymphangioleiomyomatosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal