Expression of the CD10 antigen (neutral endopeptidase) by mesenchymal tumors of the skin.
BACKGROUND
The CD10 (or CALLA) antigen is a neutral endopeptidase expressed by a variety of non-hemopoietic cells, including fibroblasts in various tissues. So far little or conflicting data exist concerning the expression of CD10 in normal and pathologic skin.


METHODS
We investigated the immunohistochemical expression of the CD10 antigen on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens of normal skin and 162 cutaneous proliferative lesions, mostly mesenchymal tumors.


RESULTS
In normal skin CD10 immunoreactivity was found in periadnexal mesenchymal cells. In skin tumors, CD10+ cells were found mainly in dermatofibromas and, to a lesser extent, in Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and neurofibromas. Metastatic (and to a lesser extent primary) melanomas also occasionally expressed CD10.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that the CD10 antigen is expressed by mesenchymal cells of normal human dermis, presumably encompassing a subset of CD34+ dermal dendrocytes and/or periadnexal fibroblasts. The CD10 antigen could be used as an adjunct to the diagnosis of some spindle-cell cutaneous tumors such as dermatofibromas and Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, but its value as a single marker is rather limited. The possible role of CD10 as a progression marker in melanoma is interesting and merits further study.
Kanitakis
J
J
Laboratory of Dermatopathology, Department of Dermatology, Hôp. Ed. Herriot, 69437 Lyon, France. kanitak@lyon151.inserm.fr
Bourchany
D
D
Claudy
A
A
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D018223:Dermatofibrosarcoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D015260:Neprilysin