Immunohistochemical detection of GLUT-1 can discriminate between reactive mesothelium and malignant mesothelioma.
The separation of benign reactive mesothelium (RM) from malignant mesothelial proliferation can be a major challenge. A number of markers have been proposed, including epithelial membrane antigen, p53 protein, and P-glycoprotein. To date, however, no immunohistochemical marker that allows unequivocal discrimination of RM from malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has been available. A family of glucose transporter isoforms (GLUT), of which GLUT-1 is a member, facilitate the entry of glucose into cells. GLUT-1 is largely undetectable by immunohistochemistry in normal epithelial tissues and benign tumors, but is expressed in a variety of malignancies. Thus, the expression of GLUT-1 appears to be a potential marker of malignant transformation. Recently, in fact, some studies have shown that GLUT-1 expression is useful for distinguishing benign from malignant lesions. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of GLUT-1 expression for diagnostic differentiation between RM and MPM. Immunohistochemical staining for GLUT-1 was performed in 40 cases of RM, 48 cases of MPM, and 58 cases of lung carcinoma. Immunohistochemical GLUT-1 expression was seen in 40 of 40 (100%) MPMs, and in all cases the expression was demonstrated by linear plasma membrane staining, sometimes with cytoplasmic staining in addition. GLUT-1 expression was also observed in 56 out of 58 (96.5%) lung carcinomas. On the other hand, no RM cases were positive for GLUT-1. GLUT-1 is a sensitive and specific immunohistochemical marker enabling differential diagnosis of RM from MPM, whereas it cannot discriminate MPM from lung carcinoma.
Kato
Yasufumi
Y
Clinical Laboratory, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Tsuta
Koji
K
Seki
Kunihiko
K
Maeshima
Akiko Miyagi
AM
Watanabe
Shunichi
S
Suzuki
Kenji
K
Asamura
Hisao
H
Tsuchiya
Ryosuke
R
Matsuno
Yoshihiro
Y
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010998:Pleurisy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1