Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: an immunohistochemical study of 8 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the biological features of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSC) of the esophagus.


METHODS
Cytokeratins (CK4, CK18 and CK19), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), carcino embryo antigen (CEA), alpha-smooth muscle antigen (alpha-SMA), S-100, laminin (LN), collagen IV (Col-IV), neural-specific enolase (NSE), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and p53 antibodies were used to detect the corresponding antigen expression in 8 cases of BSC with ABC immunohistochemical methods.


RESULTS
Two kinds of BSC cell components have different responses to the above antibodies. For basaloid cells (BCs), 7 cases were positive for CK19, and were negative for the other 4 epithelial antibodies CK4, CK18, CEA and EMA. BCs of 4 cases were positive to the muscular antibodies alpha-SMA and S-100, and the hyaline degeneration in the tumor nests was positive for LN and Col-IV. BCs had a high index of PCNA, with an average level of 54%. For squamous cells (SCs), 7 cases were positive for the epithelial antigen CK4, CEA and EMA, but were negative for CK19, alpha-SMA and S-100. The index of PCNA of SC was low, with an average level of 25%.


CONCLUSIONS
BSC of the esophagus is a high-malignancy tumor which is of multi-oriented differentiation. BCs represent basal cells which have the tendency of myoepithelial differentiation and have strong proliferation ability, whereas SCs represent typical squamous cell differentiation.
Huang
Z
Z
Department of Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515031, China. shenyq1@yahoo.com.cn
Shen
Y
Y
Liang
Y
Y
Wu
X
X
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D018396:Mucin-1; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D009418:S100 Proteins; D007633:Keratins