title: Canalicular immunostaining of neprilysin (CD10) as a diagnostic marker for hepatocellular carcinomas.
abstract: Neprilysin (CD10) is expressed in both normal and neoplastic liver tissue, where it exhibits a characteristic canalicular pattern (CD10can) similar to the one observed when antibodies cross-react with biliary glycoprotein I (p-CEA). The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the use of CD10can in differentiating between hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs; 63 specimens) and nonhepatocellular carcinomas (non-HCCs) metastatic to the liver (non-HCC; 25 specimens). Immunostaining was performed with antibodies directed against CD10, p-CEA, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Albumin mRNA was detected by nonradioactive in situ hybridization (ISHalbumin). In the HCC group a canalicular staining pattern for CD10 was found in 43 (68.3%) specimens. AFP was found in 15 (23.8%) specimens, and a canalicular staining pattern for p-CEA was present in 60 (95.2%) specimens. ISHalbumin was performed in 35 HCC specimens and showed labeling of tumor cells in 30 (85.7%) specimens. In the non-HCC group, CD10can, and p-CEA, immunostaining for AFP and labeling for ISHalbumin were confined to non-neoplastic liver tissue. Sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 68.3% and 100% for CD10can, 23.8% and 100% for AFP, 95.2% and 100% for canalicular p-CEA, and 86.4% and 100% for ISHalbumin. Our results demonstrate that canalicular staining for CD10 is a highly specific marker of hepatocytic differentiation. Although it does not differentiate between benign and malignant lesions, CD10can is clearly useful in differentiating between HCC and non-HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Borscheri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roessner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Röcken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001648:Bile Canaliculi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015260:Neprilysin