title: Validation of a minimal panel of antibodies for the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We previously established the use of a minimal panel of antibodies as sufficient to diagnose most epithelial malignant mesothelioma (MPM). We aimed to validate this approach and investigate the utility of a D2-40 antibody.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of 80 MPM patients selected for surgery and 21 consecutive patients with pleural metastatic carcinoma were included. A minimal panel of antibodies, consisting of calretinin, BG8 and CD15, and D2-40 was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 61 epithelial and 19 biphasic MPM as well as 12 metastatic lung, six breast (5 ductal adenocarcinomas, 1 mixed ductal/lobular adenocarcinoma), two serous papillary ovarian carcinomas and one moderately differentiated colorectal adenocarcinoma. The sensitivity of positive calretinin labelling to confirm the diagnosis of MPM was 97.5%, while the 'diagnostic sensitivities' of lack of labelling for BG8 and CD15 were 91.3% and 97.5%, respectively. The use of calretinin, BG8 and CD15 resulted in correct classification in 97.5% of all MPMs. All MPM cases investigated showed at least focal positive D2-40 labelling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have validated the usefulness of a minimal panel of antibodies with calretinin, BG8 and CD15 as the initial step to the diagnosis of MPM. D2-40 emerged as a helpful diagnostic tool for cases where our initial approach failed to conclusively diagnose MPM.
authors.affiliation: Asbestos Diseases Research Institute, Bernie Banton Centre, Australia.
authors.forename: Steven Chuan-Hao
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Griggs
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Janette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vardy
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van Zandwijk
authors.forename: Juliet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burn
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: McCaughan
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klebe
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010994:Pleura / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity