title: IMP3, NESP55, TTF-1 and CDX2 serve as an immunohistochemical panel in the distinction among small-cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal carcinoid, and pancreatic endocrine tumor metastasized to the liver.
abstract: Histopathologic distinction among small-cell carcinoma (SCC), pancreatic endocrine tumor (PET), and gastrointestinal carcinoids metastasized to the liver in needle core biopsies can be extremely challenging because of limited material, crush artifact, and lack of detailed clinical history. In this study, a total of 61 surgically resected or biopsied specimens, including 27 SCCs (lung, 17; colon, 1; gallbladder, 2; stomach, 1; and unknown primary, 6), 18 gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors (GICTs) (stomach, 2; small intestine, 14; colon, 2), and 16 PETs were immunohistochemically examined for the expression of IMP3, TTF-1, CDX2, and NESP55 to evaluate their diagnostic value. The results showed that 24 (89%) of 27 SCCs exhibited strong cytoplasmic staining for IMP3 in 60% to 100% of the tumor cells. Eighteen (67%) SCCs were strongly and diffusely positive for TTF-1. In the remaining 9 TTF-1-negative SCCs (including 4 extrapulmonary cases), 7 showed strong and diffuse IMP3 expression. All SCCs were negative for CDX2 except for 1 case of colonic origin that showed strong CDX2 immunoreactivity. All 16 metastatic PETs were positively stained for IMP3 with 12 cases (75%) showing a diffuse and moderate-to-strong staining pattern while they were negative for TTF-1. Six PETs exhibited moderate-to-strong positivity for CDX2 with nuclear staining in 5% to 40% of tumor cells, and 5 showed a varying degree of positivity for NESP55. Three (17%) of 18 metastatic GICTs showed moderate IMP3 staining in 50% to 90% of the tumor cells, whereas CDX2 was expressed in 17 (94%) cases with moderate-to-strong staining in 50% to 100% of tumor cells. No NESP55 immunoreactivity was detected in metastatic SCCs and GICTs. In conclusion, a panel of these 4 markers is useful in segregating among SCC, PET, and GICT to help determine the primary site of hepatic metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Kristopher S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Denby
authors.forename: Alice J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Briones
authors.forename: Patricual A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bourne
authors.forename: Betsy O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Spaulding
authors.forename: Dongsi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischer-Colbrie
authors.forename: Zhenhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Hanlin L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Haodong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071616:CDX2 Transcription Factor; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002864:Chromogranins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019205:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs / Q000378:metabolism; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000071616:CDX2 Transcription Factor; C491270:CDX2 protein, human; D002864:Chromogranins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C498780:IGF2BP3 protein, human; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C504003:TTF1 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; C406732:GNAS protein, human; D019205:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs