Significance of immunocytochemical expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin and CD44 in serous effusions using liquid-based cytology.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the diagnostic utility of E-cadherin (E-cad), N-cadherin (N-cad) and CD44 to discriminate adenocarcinoma cells from benign and malignant mesothelial cells in body cavity fluids and to clarify the origin of cancer cells.


METHODS
A total of 120 ThinPrep (Cytyc Corp., Boxborough, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) cytologic specimens of serous effusions, which included 22 cases of reactive mesothelium, 6 cases of malignant mesothelioma and 92 cases of metastatic adenocarcinoma from various sites, were immunostained for E-cad, N-cad and CD44.


RESULTS
Eighty-three of 92 metastatic adenocarcinomas (90.21%) expressed E-cad, while 1 of 6 malignant mesotheliomas and 1 of 22 cases of reactive mesothelium were positive for E-cad. All 6 cases of mesothelioma expressed N-cad, whereas most cases of metastatic adenocarcinomas were negative. CD44 immunoreactivity was seen in 18 of 22 (81.81%) benign effusions and in 21 of 92 (22.82%) metastatic adenocarcinomas.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of E-cad, N-cad and CD44 appears to be a useful panel for distinguishing metastatic adenocarcinoma, mesothelioma and reactive mesothelium and also for clarifying the exact histogenetic origin of cancer cells. This is of great importance in a few otherwise-insoluble cases because of differences in tumor treatment and prognosis.
Malle
Despoina
D
Department of Cytopathology, Theagenion Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. pepimalle@hotmail.com
Valeri
Rosaria-Maria
RM
Photiou
Charicleia
C
Kaplanis
Konstantin
K
Andreadis
Charalampos
C
Tsavdaridis
Dimitrios
D
Destouni
Charicleia
C
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors