Diagnostic utility of MOC-31, HBME-1 and MOC-31 mRNA in distinguishing between carcinoma cells and reactive mesothelial cells in pleural effusions.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the individual and combined diagnostic utility of MOC-31, HBME-1 and MOC-31mRNA in the differentiation of adenocarcinoma cells from reactive mesothelial cells in pleural effusions.


METHODS
To subject the cells from 293 pleural effusions to immunocytochemical staining for MOC-31 and HBME-1 and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for the expression of MOC-31.


RESULTS
MOC-31 and MOC-31mRNA expression were significantly higher in the cancer cell group and in 3 subgrouped as adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma than in the mesothelial cell group, whereas HBME-1 expression was obviously lower in those (p < 0.01). In single use, MOC-31mRNA had the highest sensitivity (90.8%) and accuracy (91.5%), whereas MOC-31 had the highest specificity (100%). When combinations of markers were evaluated together, MOC-31mRNA and HBME-1 gave a high diagnostic performance: sensitivity of 96.7% and accuracy of 95.2%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The detection of MOC-31, HBME-1 and MOC-31-mRNA is helpful in distinguishing between cancer and reactive mesothelial cells in pleural effusions. MOC-31mRNA could be useful to the diagnosis of pleural micrometastasis.
Sun
Ying
Y
Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital and College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Wu
Guang-Ping
GP
Fang
Chang-Qing
CQ
Liu
Shu-Li
SL
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C432845:HBME-1 antigen; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C546130:MOC-31 monoclonal antibody, human