Immunolocalization of nestin, mesothelin and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) in developing and adult serous membranes and mesotheliomas

Our plain-English summary of Immunolocalization of nestin, mesothelin and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) in developing and adult serous membranes and mesotheliomas, by J. Petricevic, H. Punda, S.M. Brakus, et al (Acta Histochemica, 2012).

The study

• Authors: J. Petricevic, H. Punda, S.M. Brakus, K. Vukojevic, D.K. Govorko, D. Alfirevic, A. Kvesic, M. Saraga-Babic
• Journal: Acta Histochemica
• Published: 2012;114(5):469-79
• Cited by: 3 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

The spatial and temporal distribution of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), mesothelin and nestin was immunohistochemically analyzed in developing and adult human serous membranes and mesotheliomas in order to detect possible differences in the course of mesenchymal to epithelial transformation, which is associated with differentiation of mesothelial cells during normal development and tumorigenesis. Pleura and pericardium developing from the visceral mesoderm gradually transform into mesothelial cells and connective tissue. EMA appeared in mesothelium of both serous membranes during the early fetal period, whereas during further development, EMA expression was retained only in the pericardial mesothelium. It increased in both pleural mesothelium and connective tissue. Mesothelin appeared first in pericardial submesothelial cells and later in surface mesothelium, while in pleura it was immediately localized in mesothelium. In adult serous membranes, EMA and mesothelin were predominantly expressed in mesothelium. Nestin never appeared in mesothelium, but in connective tissues and myocardial cells and subsequently decreased during development, apart from in the walls of blood vessels. Mesothelial cells in the two serous membranes developed in two separate developmental pathways. We speculate that submesothelial pericardial and mesothelial pleural cells might belong to a population of stem cells. In epithelioid mesotheliomas, 13% of cells expressed nestin, 39% EMA and 7% mesothelin.

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In plain English

This laboratory study used immunohistochemical staining to map three proteins, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), mesothelin and nestin, in the linings of the lungs (pleura) and heart (pericardium). The authors examined 9 human embryos and fetuses aged 7 to 22 weeks, lining tissue from 6 adults who died without heart or lung lesions, and 6 epithelioid diffuse malignant mesotheliomas collected at University Hospital Split, Croatia, between 2000 and 2009. The study did not examine asbestos or any other exposure. During development, nestin never appeared in the surface lining cells. Mesothelin appeared first in cells beneath the surface in the pericardium, but directly in surface cells in the pleura. In adults, EMA and mesothelin were found mainly in the surface lining. In the mesotheliomas, 39% of tumor cells were EMA positive and 13% were nestin positive. Mesothelin-positive cells were given as 6% in the results text and 7% in a figure. The authors concluded that cells beneath the pericardial surface might be stem cells.

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: Descriptive immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence study of human tissue samples (embryonic and fetal, adult autopsy, and tumor tissue)
• Who was studied: 9 human embryos and fetuses aged 7 to 22 weeks, obtained after spontaneous abortions and tubal pregnancies (University Hospital Split, Croatia). Pericardial and pleural tissue from 6 adults taken at autopsy, who died without cardiac or pulmonary lesions. 6 epithelioid diffuse malignant mesotheliomas collected 2000 to 2009 at University Hospital Split, with locations listed as lung lobes.
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure was studied. The tissues were stained for three markers: EMA, mesothelin and nestin.
• Main results:
  • In the epithelioid mesotheliomas, 39% of tumor cells were EMA positive.
  • In the epithelioid mesotheliomas, mesothelin-positive tumor cells were reported as 6% in the results text and as 7% in Figure 5 and the discussion.
  • In the epithelioid mesotheliomas, nestin-positive cells made up 13% of the tumor cell population.
  • In the mesotheliomas, the remaining tumor cells expressed none of the three markers.
  • In the developing pleura, nestin never appeared in the surface lining cells.
  • In the developing pericardium from week 10, mesothelin appeared strongly in some cells beneath the surface, while the surface cells were negative.
  • In the developing pleura at week 10, mesothelin was detected in only a few surface lining cells.
  • In adult pleura and pericardium, EMA and mesothelin were expressed mainly in the surface lining (mesothelium).
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the three markers appear in the developing pleura and pericardium in different but specific patterns. They also concluded that spindle-shaped cells beneath the pericardial surface might belong to a population of stem cells, because these cells express all three markers.

Topics

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

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelin, Epithelial Membrane Antigen (EMA), Mesothelioma, Mesothelial Cells, Tumorigenesis, Pleura, Pericardium, Mesoderm.

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