Diagnostic value of immunohistochemically detected surfactant--apoprotein-A in malignant tumors located in the lungs: report of two cases.
We report two cases of patients suffering from multiple tumors in the lungs with questionable origin. In these cases, the expression of Surfactant-apoprotein-A (SP-A) by the tumor cells has been a helpful feature in the process of diagnosis by indicating primary carcinomas of the lungs. Surfactant-apoprotein-A is expressed by the pneumocytes II in lung tissue and a portion of non-small cell lung carcinomas and has not yet been found to be expressed by other tumors when detected immunohistochemically by use of the monoclonal antibody PE-10. We analyzed formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens of different malignancies with pulmonary location for the expression of SP-A by the use of PE-10 with other antibodies against additional epitopes such as the thyroid transcription factor-1. In normal lung areas a distinct staining of the pneumocytes II has been observed. All the control sections of primary and metastatic nonlung-carcinoma specimen in our study remained negative. The monoclonal antibody PE-10 used in this study provides high specificity when compared to the results obtained with polyclonal antibodies. One of the two cases reported, a mucinous carcinoma of the lungs, had been negative for thyroid transcription factor-1 but positive for SP-A. Thus, SP-A detected by immunohistochemistry using the monoclonal antibody PE-10, together with other parameters such as thyroid transcription factor-1, may be a useful tool for individual diagnosis of malignomas located in the lungs with a questionable primary origin. Ann Diagn Pathol 5:84-90, 2001.
Goldmann
T
T
Department of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Research Center Borstel, Germany.
Galle
J
J
Wiedorn
K H
KH
Deutschbein
M E
ME
Neuhaus
M
M
Branscheid
D
D
Vollmer
E
E
D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011510:Proteolipids; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011510:Proteolipids; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants