title: [Expression and diagnostic application of C4.4A protein in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the diagnostic utility of C4.4A gene expression in discriminating a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from an adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of C4.4A protein in 157 cases of SCC and 177 cases of adenocarcinoma of various organs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 141 of 157 cases of SCC strongly expressed C4.4A protein. In contrast, only 8 of 177 adenocarcinomas showed partial or scattered cell expression of C4.4A protein. The statistic difference between the two groups was highly significant (chi(2) = 244.93, P = 0.000), and also when the tumors were stratified according to the degree of differentiation (P = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  C4.4A protein expression may serve as a valuable tumor marker in discriminating a squamous cell carcinoma from an adenocarcinoma, and therefore, may greatly facilitate the differential diagnosis of an epithelial malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan-qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Zu-guo
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui-xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; C472589:LYPD3 protein, human