Immunohistochemical detection of histidine decarboxylase in neoplastic mast cells in patients with systemic mastocytosis.
Synthesis of histamine in hematopoietic progenitor cells may be one of the earliest events in mastopoiesis. We therefore asked whether the key enzyme involved in histamine production, histidine decarboxylase (HDC), can be used as an immunohistochemical marker for the detection of immature neoplastic mast cells (MC) in patients with MC-proliferative disorders. To address this question, we examined bone marrow biopsy specimens in a cohort of 102 patients with mastocytosis using an antibody against HDC. Independent of the maturation stage of MC, the anti-HDC antibody produced clear diagnostic staining results in all patients with systemic MC disease examined including those with MC leukemia and MC sarcoma, in which MCs are particularly immature. In these patients, expression of HDC was reconfirmed at the messenger RNA level by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses performed with RNA of highly enriched CD117(+) MC. In summary, HDC is expressed in neoplastic MC in patients with systemic mastocytosis independent of the maturation stage of cells or the variant of disease. Histidine decarboxylase should therefore be considered as a new MC marker in the screen panel of antigens used to diagnose high-grade MC malignancies.
Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology, Department of Internal Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
Maria-Theresa
MT
Krauth
Hermine
H
Agis
Karl J
KJ
Aichberger
Ingrid
I
Simonitsch-Klupp
Leonhard
L
Müllauer
Matthias
M
Mayerhofer
Alexandra
A
Böhm
Hans-Peter
HP
Horny
Peter
P
Valent
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006640:Histidine Decarboxylase / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D007946:Leukemia, Mast-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D012515:Mast-Cell Sarcoma / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D034721:Mastocytosis, Systemic / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D006640:Histidine Decarboxylase