Immunohistochemical identification of tumours of adipocytic differentiation using an antibody to aP2 protein.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether aP2 expression is a useful diagnostic marker in soft tissue tumour pathology.


METHODS
A polyclonal antibody to aP2 was used to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of this protein in benign and malignant tumours of adipocytic differentiation and a wide variety of other neoplasms.


RESULTS
aP2 was only expressed by lipoblasts (in all types of liposarcoma and in lipoblastomatosis) and by brown fat cells (in both hibernomas and normal periadrenal fetal fat). Other benign adipose tissue tumours and malignant connective tissue or epithelial tumours were distinguished from liposarcoma by the absence of staining for aP2.


CONCLUSIONS
Identification of lipoblasts using markers of aP2 expression is of value in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant adipose tissue tumours and in distinguishing liposarcomas from other malignant mesenchymal and epithelial neoplasms, some of which contain cells that morphologically resemble lipoblasts.
Department of Oral Pathology, Eastman Dental Hospital, London.
J H
JH
Bennett
S
S
Shousha
B
B
Puddle
N A
NA
Athanasou
D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008067:Lipoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis; D008080:Liposarcoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis; D018996:Myelin P2 Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D018205:Neoplasms, Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; C107608:FABP7 protein, human; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D018996:Myelin P2 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins