Expression of calretinin in human ovary, testis, and ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors

Our plain-English summary of Expression of calretinin in human ovary, testis, and ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors, by Q.J. Cao, J.G. Jones, M. Li (International Journal of Gynecological Pathology, 2001).

The study

• Authors: Q.J. Cao, J.G. Jones, M. Li
• Journal: International Journal of Gynecological Pathology
• Published: 2001;20(4):346-52
• Cited by: 84 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Calretinin, a calcium-binding protein, is primarily expressed in certain subtypes of neurons. It has also been found to be present in mesothelial cells and mesotheliomas but not in many types of carcinomas. Using a polyclonal anti-calretinin antibody, we investigated the expression of calretinin immunohistochemically in nonneoplastic human ovaries and testes and ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors (SCSTs). In ovaries, calretinin was expressed in theca interna cells, hilus cells, and scattered individual stromal cells. Oocytes, granulosa cells, theca externa cells, rete ovarii, and most stromal cells were negative. Expression of calretinin was also seen in the ovarian surface epithelium and in collapsed and flat epithelial inclusion glands (EIGs), but not in round, columnar, and ciliated EIGs. In some glands, a transition from calretinin-positive to calretinin-negative epithelium was observed. In postpubertal testes, calretinin was expressed in Leydig cells, but not in germ cells or most rete testes and Sertoli cells. In ovarian SCSTs, strong calretinin staining was seen in all hilus cell tumors (4/4) and the Leydig cell component of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors (10/10). The Sertoli cell component showed focal weak positivity in 5/10. Fibrothecomas were completely negative (0/8). In granulosa cell tumors, the tumor cells were either completely negative (8/14) or weakly positive at the periphery of the tumor (6/14) while scattered stromal cell staining was seen in 9/14 cases. The expression of calretinin in normal Leydig cells, theca interna cells, the Leydig cell component of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, and hilus cell tumors suggests its functional relationship with androgen production. Its pattern of expression in ovarian SCSTs is useful in the differential diagnosis of these tumors. The presence of a transition from calretinin-positive, flat, nonciliated epithelium to calretinin-negative, columnar, ciliated epithelium in the same glands provides strong evidence for mullerian metaplasia.

In plain English

This laboratory study did not study asbestos exposure or people with mesothelioma. It came from the Department of Pathology at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in the Bronx, New York. The authors examined archived tissue from 98 patients to see where a protein called calretinin appears, using an antibody stain. In the article's background, calretinin is described as a marker found in mesothelial cells and mesotheliomas. In non-cancerous ovarian tissue, calretinin was found in theca interna cells (24/24), hilus cells (5/5) and surface epithelium (29/29), and in scattered stromal cells in 27/44 cases. In postpubertal testes, Leydig cells stained in 17/17 cases and germ cells in 0/17. Among ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors, all 4 hilus cell tumors and the Leydig cell part of all 10 Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors stained. All 8 fibrothecomas were negative. Granulosa cell tumor cells were either negative (8/14) or weakly stained at the edge (6/14). The authors suggested that calretinin is a useful marker for telling these tumor types apart.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Laboratory (immunohistochemical) study of archived tissue samples stained with an anti-calretinin antibody
• Who was studied: Archived tissue from 98 patients at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York: non-cancerous ovarian tissue from 44 patients, non-cancerous postpubertal testicular tissue from 17 patients, and ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors (4 hilus cell tumors, 14 granulosa cell tumors, 10 Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, 8 fibrothecomas, 1 gonadoblastoma). Dates not given.
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure was studied. The study measured calretinin staining in tissue.
• Main results:
  • In non-cancerous ovarian tissue, all identifiable surface epithelium stained for calretinin (29/29)
  • Scattered positive stromal cells were seen in 27 of 44 non-cancerous ovarian tissue cases
  • In some ovarian inclusion glands, flat calretinin-positive lining changed to columnar/ciliated calretinin-negative lining (noted in 4 ovaries). The authors interpreted this as evidence supporting the metaplastic theory of how these glands form.
  • All 4 hilus cell tumors stained strongly for calretinin
  • In Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, the Leydig cell component was positive in all 10 cases
  • In Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, the Sertoli cell component showed focal weak staining in 5 of 10 cases
  • All 8 fibrothecomas were negative (0/8)
  • In granulosa cell tumors, tumor cells were completely negative in 8/14 cases or weakly stained at the tumor periphery in 6/14
  • In 9/14 granulosa cell tumors, scattered stromal cells surrounding the tumor stained positive
  • In postpubertal testes, Leydig cells were positive in 17/17 cases and germ cells were negative in all 17
  • In the testes, Sertoli cells showed focal weak staining in 4/17 cases and rete testes in 2/8 cases
• The authors' conclusion: The authors suggested that calretinin is a useful marker for the differential diagnosis of ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Ovarian cancer.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Calretinin, Mesothelial Cells, Mesothelioma, Carcinoma, Epithelium, Differential Diagnosis.

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