Value of the MOC-31 monoclonal antibody in differentiating epithelial pleural mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma

Our plain-English summary of Value of the MOC-31 monoclonal antibody in differentiating epithelial pleural mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma, by N.G. Ordóñez (Human Pathology, 1998).

The study

• Author: N.G. Ordóñez
• Journal: Human Pathology
• Published: 1998;29(2):166-9
• Cited by: 71 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

MOC-31 is a monoclonal antibody that has recently become commercially available that recognizes an epithelial-associated, transmembrane glycoprotein often expressed in epithelial tumors. Although some authors have indicated that MOC-31 immunostaining can assist in distinguishing epithelial mesotheliomas from metastatic adenocarcinomas to the pleura, others have concluded that this marker has no value in separating these conditions. To determine whether MOC-31 immunostaining can assist in discriminating epithelial pleural mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma or from other carcinomas metastatic to the pleura, 38 epithelial pleural mesotheliomas, 40 pulmonary adenocarcinomas, 55 nonpulmonary adenocarcinomas, six squamous cell carcinomas of the lung (SCCLs), three small-cell lung carcinomas (SCLCs), 19 bronchial carcinoids (BCs), and 15 transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) were studied. Reactivity was obtained in two (5%) of the mesotheliomas, in all 40 (100%) pulmonary adenocarcinomas, in 45 (82%) nonpulmonary adenocarcinomas, in six (100%) SCCLs, three (100%) SCLCs, 15 (83%) BCs, and 10 (67%) TCCs. The staining in the two positive mesotheliomas was restricted to a few cells, in contrast to the pulmonary adenocarcinomas and most of the other carcinomas where it was often strong and diffuse. It is concluded that MOC-31 can be useful in separating epithelial pleural mesothelioma from pulmonary adenocarcinoma or from other epithelial malignancies involving the pleura.

In plain English

This laboratory study, from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, tested whether a commercially available antibody stain called MOC-31 could help pathologists tell epithelial pleural mesothelioma apart from lung adenocarcinoma and from other cancers that spread to the pleura. The author stained archived, formalin-fixed tissue from 38 epithelial pleural mesotheliomas, 40 lung adenocarcinomas, and a range of other tumors. Cases were coded so that each diagnosis stayed hidden until grading was finished. Only 2 of the 38 mesotheliomas reacted. In one, about 10% of cells stained; in the other, only a few scattered cells did. All 40 lung adenocarcinomas reacted, mostly strongly and diffusely. Most of the other cancers also reacted, with kidney tumors the lowest at 5 of 13. The author concluded that MOC-31 can be useful in separating epithelial pleural mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma or from other epithelial cancers involving the pleura. The study did not look at asbestos exposure.

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: Immunohistochemical (antibody staining) study of archived tumor tissue, graded blind to diagnosis
• Who was studied: Tumor tissue from the pathology files of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston: 38 epithelial pleural mesotheliomas (only cases with an unequivocal diagnosis), 40 lung adenocarcinomas, 55 nonpulmonary adenocarcinomas (colon, breast, ovary, kidney), 6 squamous cell carcinomas of the lung, 3 small-cell lung carcinomas, bronchial carcinoids (18 in the results and table) and 15 transitional cell carcinomas. Dates of the cases are not given.
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure was studied. The 'test' applied was staining with the MOC-31 mouse monoclonal antibody on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections.
• Main results:
  • Epithelial mesotheliomas: 2 of 38 (5%) reacted with MOC-31.
  • In the two reactive mesotheliomas, staining was limited: about 10% of cells in one case and a few scattered cells in the other.
  • Lung adenocarcinomas: all 40 reacted, mostly strongly and diffusely (15 graded 4+ and 18 graded 3+).
  • Nonpulmonary adenocarcinomas: reactivity in 11 of 11 colon, 9 of 10 breast, 20 of 21 ovary, and 5 of 13 kidney tumors.
  • Other tumors: 15 of 18 bronchial carcinoids, all 6 squamous cell carcinomas of the lung, and all 3 small-cell lung carcinomas reacted.
  • Transitional cell carcinomas: 10 of 15 (67%) reacted.
  • In all positive cases, including the mesotheliomas, staining was mainly along the cell membrane.
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that MOC-31 can be useful in separating epithelial pleural mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma or from other epithelial cancers involving the pleura, and could be added to the panel of markers already used to diagnose mesothelioma.

Topics

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

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: MOC-31, Monoclonal Antibody, Pleural Mesothelioma, Lung Adenocarcinoma, Glycoprotein, Mesothelioma, Adenocarcinoma, Pleura.

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