Immunohistochemical distribution of tubulin beta II in human normal and neoplastic tissues

Our plain-English summary of Immunohistochemical distribution of tubulin beta II in human normal and neoplastic tissues, by E. Oda, Y. Nakamura, M. Yamamoto, et al (The Kurume Medical Journal, 2005).

The study

• Authors: E. Oda, Y. Nakamura, M. Yamamoto, M. Kojiro
• Journal: The Kurume Medical Journal
• Published: 2005;52(4):117-25
• Cited by: 8 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Tubulin is the major constituent protein of microtubules. In mammals, there are seven beta-tubulins and six alpha-tubulins. Each beta-tubulin isotype has a unique tissue distribution. The purpose of this study was to describe the distribution of tubulin beta II in normal and neoplastic human tissues with immunohistochemical techniques. We obtained normal tissues from 33 cases (8 fetuses, 17 neonates, 3 children and 5 adults) and 121 samples of neoplastic tissue from surgical specimens or at autopsy. Immunohistochemical staining for tubulin beta II was performed using a monoclonal antibody, KNY379 developed in our laboratory. Tubulin beta II was detected in various normal tissues, particularly in fetal and neonatal tissues, such as the nervous system, pulmonary alveoli, bronchioles and bronchi, colon, pancreatic ducts and acini, renal convoluted tubuli, skin epidermis, body cavity mesothelial cells, smooth muscle and thymus. In the adult, broad expression was also observed; however, the immunoreactivity was weaker and the extent of its distribution decreased with age. In neoplastic tissues, tubulin beta II immunoreactivity was detected in various nervous system neoplasms and other neoplasms such as pancreatic solid cystic carcinoma, pleomorphic adenoma, Warthin's tumor, nephroblastoma, basal cell carcinoma and malignant mesothelioma. We conclude that our monoclonal antibody, KNY379, may be useful as a marker of nervous system neoplasm, pancreatic solid cystic carcinoma, pleomorphic adenoma, Warthin's tumor, nephroblastoma, basal cell carcinoma and malignant mesothelioma.

In plain English

This was a laboratory study by authors at Kurume University School of Medicine and St. Mary's Hospital in Kurume, Japan. They used an antibody called KNY379, developed in their own laboratory, to stain tissue for a protein called tubulin beta II. They examined normal tissue from 33 cases (8 fetuses, 17 newborns, 3 children and 5 adults) and 121 tumor samples taken at surgery or autopsy. In normal tissue, staining was widespread in fetuses and newborns and became weaker with age. The cells lining the body cavities (mesothelial cells) stained intensely in fetuses. The article's table and discussion report them as unstained in newborns, children and adults, although one results sentence says the fetal staining disappeared after the newborn period. Reactive, non-cancerous mesothelial cells did not stain. All 4 epithelial-type malignant mesotheliomas stained intensely. Lung adenocarcinomas stained weakly to moderately. The authors concluded that tubulin beta II may be usable as a differential marker for malignant mesothelioma. The article did not study asbestos, did not report the patients' asbestos exposure, and did not say whether the mesotheliomas were pleural or peritoneal.

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 (immunohistochemistry and Western blot) study of preserved human tissue samples
• Who was studied: Normal tissue from 33 cases, obtained from aborted fetuses or at autopsy: 8 fetuses at 7-19 gestational weeks, 17 neonates at 20-40 gestational weeks, 3 children aged 1, 4 and 14 years, and 5 adults aged 34-89 years. Also 121 tumor samples obtained as surgical specimens or at autopsy, including 4 malignant mesotheliomas. The authors were based in Kurume, Japan. Collection dates are not given.
• Exposure: No asbestos or other environmental exposure was studied. The study measured staining of tissue with the monoclonal antibody KNY379 against tubulin beta II.
• Main results:
  • All 4 epithelial-type malignant mesotheliomas showed intense staining (4 of 4). These tumors were judged invasive, with no primary tumor in other organs at autopsy.
  • In normal tissue, body cavity mesothelial cells stained intensely in fetuses. Table 1 scores body cavity mesothelium as 0 (no cells labeled) in neonates, children and adults, and the discussion says mesothelial cells in these groups were negative. One results sentence instead says the fetal staining disappeared after the neonatal period.
  • Reactively proliferated, non-cancerous mesothelial cells did not stain.
  • Lung adenocarcinoma (8 cases) and lung small cell carcinoma (5 cases) stained weakly to moderately.
  • Overall, staining in normal tissues decreased with age.
  • All neuromas (4 of 4) stained intensely.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that tubulin beta II may be used as a differential marker for malignant mesothelioma, like K-1, MS-2761, calretinin and vimentin. They also concluded that KNY379 may be a useful marker of several tumors, including nervous system tumors, pancreatic solid cystic carcinoma, pleomorphic adenoma, Warthin's tumor, nephroblastoma, basal cell carcinoma and malignant mesothelioma.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Autopsy, Immunohistochemistry, Monoclonal Antibody, Alveoli, Bronchus, Mesothelial Cells, Neoplasm, Carcinoma.

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