title: The basement membranes in sarcomatoid carcinomas. An immunohistochemical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Eight sarcomatoid carcinomas from various anatomical locations were investigated by immunohistochemical staining to laminin, type IV collagen and heparan sulfate proteoglycan, to study the characteristics of basement membranes at the interface between carcinomatous and sarcomatous tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paraffin wax embedded tissue sections from representative tumor samples have been stained with specific antibodies, using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all cases several interruptions or discontinuities of the basement membrane staining pattern were seen. In 4 cases, larger defects or complete loss of staining was also noted. At these places, the boundaries between carcinomatous and sarcomatous tissue were often blurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Disruption and loss of basement membranes at interface between carcinomatous and sarcomatous tissues is a frequent finding in sarcomatoid carcinomas. These changes could be consistent with an epithelial origin of the sarcomatous component in these tumors by means of an epithelial-mesenchymal conversion mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Hospital of Treviglio, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guarino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Squillaci
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reale
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Micoli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000473:pathology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007797:Laminin / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D007797:Laminin; D011509:Proteoglycans