title: The value of thyroid transcription factor-1 in cytologic preparations as a marker for metastatic adenocarcinoma of lung origin.
abstract: In tissue sections, thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) is a sensitive marker for adenocarcinomas of lung and thyroid origin. This immunohistochemical study evaluates the effectiveness of TTF-1 as a marker for pulmonary adenocarcinomas in paraffin sections of cell block preparations derived from effusion and fine-needle aspiration specimens. We evaluated 122 cell blocks including 8 primary and 39 metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinomas, 11 pulmonary neoplasms of other types, 50 specimens with nonpulmonary metastatic tumors, and 14 mesotheliomas. TTF-1 was reactive in 42 (89%) of 47 pulmonary adenocarcinomas. Only 1 of 4 pulmonary small cell/neuroendocrine tumors was TTF-1 positive, while 1 of 7 squamous cell carcinomas was weakly reactive. Of 50 metastatic tumors of nonpulmonary origin, focal weak reactivity was noted only for 1 metastatic ovarian carcinoma. All mesotheliomas were nonreactive. In cytologic preparations, TTF-1 is a highly selective marker for pulmonary adenocarcinoma and also can have a role in the distinction between pulmonary adenocarcinoma and mesothelioma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hecht
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pinkus
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Pinkus
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000737:chemistry; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000074482:Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C000614412:NKX2-1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000074482:Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1; D014157:Transcription Factors