New marker for mesothelioma: an immunoperoxidase study

Our plain-English summary of New marker for mesothelioma: an immunoperoxidase study, by A. Donna, P.G. Betta, D. Bellingeri, et al (Journal of Clinical Pathology, 1986).

The study

• Authors: A. Donna, P.G. Betta, D. Bellingeri, A. Marchesini
• Journal: Journal of Clinical Pathology
• Published: 1986;39(9):961-8
• Cited by: 46 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

An antibody was raised against a protein isolated from the cytoplasm of mesothelioma cells. It was subsequently used in an immunoperoxidase procedure on formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue sections. A representative sample of benign and malignant tumours from all the systems of the human body was examined. All the tumours derived from coelomic surfaces (mesotheliomas of pleura, peritoneum, and ovary, and adenomatoid tumour of epididymis) reacted with the antibody. No other tumour tested in this study expressed the protein. These findings indicate that the antibody may be useful in the identification of mesothelioma cells in both histological and cytological diagnostic routine practice when morphological interpretation is in doubt.

In plain English

This laboratory study from Italy aimed to develop a marker to help pathologists tell mesothelioma apart from other cancers, especially adenocarcinoma on the pleural and peritoneal surfaces. The authors purified a protein with a molecular weight of around 200 000 from fluid effusions, raised an antibody against it in a rabbit, and used the antibody to stain tissue sections of a range of benign and malignant tumours from their files. The article does not say how many cases were tested. At an antiserum dilution of 1/80, the antibody bound to reactive mesothelium, malignant mesothelioma of the pleura and peritoneum, benign and malignant serous-type mesothelioma of the ovary, and adenomatoid tumours of the epididymis. None of the other tumours tested reacted. At lower dilutions (1/10 to 1/40), however, the antibody bound non-specifically to most epithelial tumour tissues. It also stained reactive and malignant mesothelial cells in fluid smears. The authors noted that the antibody marks mesothelial cells in general, not only mesothelioma cells. They concluded it may help when the microscopic appearance leaves the diagnosis in doubt. Asbestos exposure was not studied.

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 study: a protein was purified from serous effusions, a polyclonal antibody was raised against it in a rabbit, and the antibody was tested by immunoperoxidase staining on formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tumour sections
• Who was studied: Biopsy and necropsy tissue sections from a range of benign and malignant human tumours from the authors' files, listed by tumour type in a table. Numbers of cases, dates and patient details are not given. Cytological smears of serous effusions and cultured mesothelial cells from a newborn hernial sac were also tested. The antibody was raised in one New Zealand white rabbit.
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure was studied. The study tested a laboratory antibody against a protein found in mesothelial cells.
• Main results:
  • The purified native protein had a molecular weight of around 200 000.
  • On gel electrophoresis, the band for the native protein appeared in effusions from mesothelioma and from transudate, but not in effusion from metastatic carcinoma.
  • In immunodiffusion tests on raw fluids, the antiserum did not recognise the metastatic carcinoma fluid.
  • At 1/80 dilution, the antibody bound to reactive mesothelium, malignant mesothelioma of the pleura and the peritoneum, benign and malignant mesothelioma of the ovary of serous type, and adenomatoid tumours of the epididymis.
  • None of the other benign or malignant tumours tested reacted with the antibody.
  • At lower antiserum dilutions (1/10 to 1/40), non-specific binding was seen in most of the neoplastic epithelial tissues. No binding was found in any tumour tissue at 1/80.
  • In all mesotheliomas, the protein was detected in epithelial type cells, in transitional cells, and in fibroblast-like cells. Staining intensity varied between and within tumours.
  • In ovarian mesothelial tumours with mixed serous and mucin filled cells, only the serous cells reacted.
  • The antibody also detected reactive and malignant mesothelial cells in cytological smears of serous effusions.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the antibody may be useful in identifying mesothelioma cells in routine histological and cytological diagnosis when the morphological interpretation is in doubt. They noted that it is specific for mesothelial cells but not exclusive to mesothelioma cells.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors state that the antibody is specific for mesothelial cells but not exclusive to mesothelioma cells: reactive (benign) mesothelial cells also stain.

Topics

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

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Pleura, Peritoneum, Adenomatoid Tumor, Epididymis.

Related studies

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• Value of the mesothelium-associated antibodies thrombomodulin, cytokeratin 5/6, calretinin, and CD44H in distinguishing epithelioid pleural mesothelioma from adenocarcinoma metastatic to the pleura — P.M. Cury, D.N. Butcher, et al. (2000)
• Differential reactivities of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CEA-related monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies in common epithelial malignancies — K. Sheahan, M.J. O'Brien, et al. (1990)
• Mesothelioma-binding antibodies: thrombomodulin, OV 632 and HBME-1 and their use in the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma — R.L. Attanoos, H. Goddard, et al. (1996)
• Immunohistochemical evaluation of two antibodies against PD-L1 and prognostic significance of PD-L1 expression in epithelioid peritoneal malignant mesothelioma: A RENAPE study — S. Valmary-Degano, P. Colpart, et al. (2017)
• Localised spontaneous regression in mesothelioma -- possible immunological mechanism — B.W. Robinson, C. Robinson, et al. (2001)

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