[Expression and diagnostic significance of CD34 in brain tumors of patients with refractory epilepsy].
OBJECTIVE
To study the immunohistochemical expression and diagnostic significance of CD34 in brain tumors of patients with refractory epilepsy.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical study for CD34 was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of 54 cases of brain tumors occurring in patients with refractory epilepsy. The tumor types included ganglioglioma (GG, number = 21), dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT, number = 8), tumors/lesions which had the transitional features that between glioneuronal hamartia and mixed neuronal-glial tumor (number = 21) and pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA, number = 4). Cases of glioblastoma (number = 4) and oligoastrocytoma (number = 5) were used as controls.


RESULTS
Twenty of the 21 cases of GG, 1 of the 8 cases of DNT, 16 of the 21 cases of tumors/lesions which had the transitional features and 3 of the 4 cases of PXA showed cytoplasmic and membranous positivity for CD34. The adjoining brain tissues in 9 of the 18 cases of GG, 6 of the 16 cases of tumors/lesions which had the transitional features and 1 of the 3 cases of PXA also expressed CD34. In contrast, only 1 case of glioblastoma showed membranous positivity for CD34.


CONCLUSIONS
CD34 preferred to staining for GG and PXA. Which represent a valuable tool for distinguishing GG, PXA and DNT, oligoastrocytoma, glioblastoma.
Liu
Jing
J
Department of Pathology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
Lu
De-hong
DH
Piao
Yue-shan
YS
Wang
Wei
W
Chen
Li
L
Wei
Li-feng
LF
Yang
Hong
H
D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology*; D018303:Ganglioglioma / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D018302:Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
D018952:Antigens, CD34