title: Neuroendocrine differentiation in non-small cell lung carcinomas.
abstract: The immunohistochemical expression of ten neuroendocrine and neural differentiation-related antigens in 200 specimens from patients with surgically resected non-small cell lung carcinomas were evaluated. Poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas and undifferentiated large cell carcinomas showed the highest percentage of positive samples (30%-60%) for the markers evaluated with diffuse and intense immunostaining. Poorly differentiated squamous carcinomas bronchioalveolar adenocarcinomas, and giant cell carcinomas showed a lower percentage of positive samples (20%) with moderate immunostaining. Well differentiated tumors were very rarely positive for the neuroendocrine markers. It is concluded that neoplasms positive for the neuroendocrine markers can be considered as non-small cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine features, even if they do not have the histological appearance of neuroendocrine lung neoplasms.
authors.affiliation: Università Campus BioMedico, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Groger
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Di Marino
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baldi
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D001839:Bombesin / Q000032:analysis; D018959:CD57 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000032:analysis; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000032:analysis; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D018959:CD57 Antigens; D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; D014667:Vasopressins; D012701:Serotonin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D002116:Calcitonin; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; D001839:Bombesin