Immunohistochemical expression of calretinin in ameloblastoma, adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, and keratocystic odontogenic tumor: a comparative study

Our plain-English summary of Immunohistochemical expression of calretinin in ameloblastoma, adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, and keratocystic odontogenic tumor: a comparative study, by A. Koneru, K. Hallikeri, G.S. Nellithady, et al (Applied Immunohistochemistry & Molecular Morphology, 2014).

The study

• Authors: A. Koneru, K. Hallikeri, G.S. Nellithady, R. Krishnapillai, S. Prabhu
• Journal: Applied Immunohistochemistry & Molecular Morphology
• Published: 2014;22(10):762-7
• Cited by: 9 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Calretinin is expressed primarily in the central and peripheral nervous system and extensively studied in colon adenocarcinoma and mesotheliomas. Calretinin is known to be expressed in the odontogenic epithelium and odontogenic tumors. However, the role of calretinin in the pathogenesis of odontogenic tumors is yet to be confirmed. Hence, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression and role of calretinin in selected odontogenic tumors. The study included 30 ameloblastomas, 30 adenomatoid odontogenic tumors, and 30 keratocystic odontogenic tumors. Staining intensity, pattern, and localization of the immunopositive cells were determined. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance test. P-values <0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. Results showed that 90% ameloblastomas and 80% keratocystic odontogenic tumors were immunopositive to calretinin, whereas none of the adenomatoid odontogenic tumors showed reactivity. Intensity was higher in the ameloblastomas compared with the keratocystic odontogenic tumors. Statistically significant differences were observed when the expression of calretinin was compared, except between the ameloblastoma and keratocystic odontogenic tumor. However, the intensity of calretinin was significantly higher in the ameloblastoma when compared with the keratocystic odontogenic tumor. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that calretinin might be used as a specific immunohistochemical marker for the ameloblastomas and could play an important role in the differentiation of aggressiveness of different odontogenic tumors. Depending on the cell regulatory processes, we suggest a possible role of calretinin in the pathogenesis of ameloblastomas and have to be further studied along with other proliferative cell cycle and apoptotic markers with larger sample size.

In plain English

This laboratory study was not about asbestos. It mentioned mesothelioma only as background, because the protein calretinin is used as a marker for that disease. The authors stained 90 stored tissue samples of odontogenic tumors (tumors of tooth-forming tissue) from a dental college in Dharwad, India, to look for calretinin. The samples were 30 ameloblastomas, 30 adenomatoid odontogenic tumors and 30 keratocystic odontogenic tumors. Calretinin was found in 90% of the ameloblastomas, 80% of the keratocystic odontogenic tumors, and none of the 30 adenomatoid odontogenic tumors. In ameloblastomas, staining appeared in the central stellate reticulum-like cells and not in the outer ameloblast-like cells. The share of positive samples did not differ significantly between ameloblastomas and keratocystic odontogenic tumors (P = 0.5885), but staining was significantly more intense in ameloblastomas. The authors concluded that calretinin might be used as a specific marker for ameloblastomas and could help tell apart how aggressive different odontogenic tumors are. They said this needs further study with a larger sample. Some percentages in the article do not match its own case counts.

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 comparative study using immunohistochemical staining of archived tumor tissue blocks
• Who was studied: 90 archived tissue blocks from the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology and Microbiology, SDM College of Dental Sciences, Dharwad, India: 30 ameloblastomas, 30 adenomatoid odontogenic tumors and 30 keratocystic odontogenic tumors. The years the cases came from are not stated.
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure was studied. The study measured staining for the protein calretinin, using a polyclonal rabbit anti-calretinin antibody.
• Main results:
  • Calretinin staining was found in 90% of ameloblastomas (27 of 30) and 80% of keratocystic odontogenic tumors (24 of 30).
  • None of the 30 adenomatoid odontogenic tumors stained for calretinin.
  • Among the positive ameloblastomas, 33% stained intensely, 56% moderately and 11% mildly.
  • In ameloblastomas, staining was restricted to the central stellate reticulum-like cells. None of the peripheral ameloblast-like cells stained.
  • Among the 24 positive keratocystic odontogenic tumors, 2 cases stained intensely (reported as 6%) and 22 stained mildly (reported as 94%).
  • Comparing all three tumor groups together, calretinin expression and intensity differed significantly (P = 0.0000).
  • The proportion of positive cases did not differ significantly between ameloblastoma and keratocystic odontogenic tumor (P = 0.5885).
  • Staining intensity was significantly higher in ameloblastoma than in keratocystic odontogenic tumor (P = 0.0003).
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that calretinin might be used as a specific immunohistochemical marker for ameloblastomas and could play a role in distinguishing the aggressiveness of different odontogenic tumors.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors stated that their findings need further study with other cell cycle and apoptotic markers and a larger sample size.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Calretinin, Adenomatoid Tumor, Adenocarcinoma, Mesothelioma, Epithelium, P-Value.

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