title: Actin isoform expression patterns in adult extracardiac and cardiac rhabdomyomas indicate a different cell of origin.
abstract: Rhabdomyomas are rare striated muscle-type tumors arising in the heart or in soft tissues. Using a monoclonal antibody specific for the cardiac isoform of α-actin (α-cardiac actin, α-CAA), differential expression patterns in striated muscle tissues were reported previously. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the α-actin isoform specificity is maintained in rhabdomyomas according to their origin, comparing extracardiac to cardiac rhabdomyomas. We immunohistochemically investigated adult extracardiac (pharyngeal) rhabdomyomas (n = 4) and cardiac rhabdomyomas (n = 7) employing isoform-specific monoclonal antibodies. The extracardiac rhabdomyomas revealed only a few scattered α-CAA-positive tumor cells (antibody cAc1-20.42) while the cardiac rhabdomyomas exhibited abundant expression of α-CAA, indicating a close relatedness to cardiac muscle fibers. The α-skeletal actin (α-SKA) specific monoclonal antibody (3B3) produced the reverse results. General sarcomeric antibodies (HHF35 and Alpha Sr-1) displayed strong positivity in all rhabdomyomas studied. Alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was negative or heterogeneously positive in extracardiac and cardiac rhabdomyomas. Our results suggest that despite similar morphology, the intrinsic differential alpha-actin isoform specificity of mature skeletal vs. cardiac muscle is maintained in extracardiac and cardiac rhabdomyomas. Thus, adult extracardiac rhabdomyomas differentiate towards mature skeletal muscle although they may exhibit centrally placed nuclei like cardiac muscle cells, while cardiac rhabdomyomas reflect true cardiac muscle differentiation. Our findings appear to indicate a different biological nature of cardiac and extracardiac rhabdomyomas, probably related to a different cell of origin. To our knowledge, this is the first report suggesting a derivation of extracardiac and cardiac rhabdomyomas from skeletal and cardiac muscle cells, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Philipps University and University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, D-35043, Marburg, Germany. westhoff@med.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Christina C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Westhoff
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Fetal Pathology, Philipps University and University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schoner
authors.affiliation: Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Philipps University and University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Marburg, Germany.|Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Städtisches Klinikum Solingen gGmbH, Gotenstraße 1, D-42653, Solingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sesterhenn
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Philipps University and University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, D-35043, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moll
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000032:analysis; D012207:Rhabdomyoma / Q000473:pathology*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D020033:Protein Isoforms
keywords: Cardiac; Cardiac actin; Extracardiac; Immunohistochemistry; Rhabdomyoma