title: The immunohistochemical characterization of devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) in the Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii).
abstract: Immunohistochemical techniques were used to characterize the disfiguring and debilitating fatal neoplastic disease, devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), which has recently affected a significant proportion of the wild population of Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus harrisii). The diagnostic values of a number of immunohistochemical stains were employed to further characterize 50 representative cases. The neoplasms were negative for cytokeratin (0/48), epithelial membrane antigen (0/42), von Willebrand factor (vWF) (0/11), smooth muscle actin (SMA) (0/26), desmin (0/47), glial fibrillary acid protein (0/13), CD16 (0/13), CD57 (0/43), CD3 (0/18), and LSP1 (0/16). DFTD cells were positive for vimentin (50/50), S-100 (41/48), melan A (11/39), neuron specific enolase (35/35), chromogranin A (12/12) and synaptophysin (29/30). The cells were negative for amyloid (0/30) and stained negatively with Singh's silver (0/34) but were weakly argyrophilic (3/40) using Grimelius histochemical stain. These staining characteristics are consistent with cells of neuroectodermal origin.
authors.affiliation: Animal Health Laboratory, PO Box 46, Kings Meadows, 7249 Tasmania, Australia. Richmond.Loh@dpiwe.tas.gov.au
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahjoor
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Hara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pyecroft
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raidal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary*; D008394:Marsupialia
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens