title: Vimentin 3, the new hope, differentiating RCC versus oncocytoma.
abstract: Vimentin is currently used to differentiate between malignant renal carcinomas and benign oncocytomas. Recent reports showing Vimentin positive oncocytomas seriously question the validity of this present diagnostic approach. Vimentin 3 is a spliced variant and ends with a unique C-terminal ending after exon 7 which differentiates it from the full length version that has 9 exons. Therefore, the protein size is different; the full length Vimentin version has a protein size of ~57 kDa and the truncated version of ~47 kDa. We designed an antibody, called Vim3, against the unique C-terminal ending of the Vimentin 3 variant. Using immune histology, immune fluorescence, Western blot, and qRT-PCR analysis, a Vim3 overexpression was detectable exclusively in oncocytoma, making the detection of Vim3 a potential specific marker for benign kidney tumors. This antibody is the first to clearly differentiate benign oncocytoma and the mimicking eosinophilic variants of the RCCs. This differentiation between malignant and benign RCCs is essential for operative planning, follow-up therapy, and patients' survival. In the future the usage of Vimentin antibodies in routine pathology has to be applied with care. Consideration must be given to Vimentin specific binding epitopes otherwise a misdiagnosis of the patients' tumor samples may result.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpenerstraße 62, 50924 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Brandenstein
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpenerstraße 62, 50924 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Puetz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpenerstraße 62, 50924 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlosser
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpenerstraße 62, 50924 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Löser
authors.affiliation: Institute of General, Visceral and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Clinic Northwest, Steinbacher Hohl 2-26, 60488 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kallinowski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Helios Clinic Wuppertal, University Clinic Witten-Herdecke, Heusnerstraße 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gödde
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpenerstraße 62, 50924 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buettner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Helios Clinic Wuppertal, University Clinic Witten-Herdecke, Heusnerstraße 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Störkel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpenerstraße 62, 50924 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen W U
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Fries
mesh_terms: D018249:Adenoma, Oxyphilic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007159:Immunologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014746:Vimentin