An immunohistochemical study of keratin, carcinoembryonic antigen, human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein in lung cancer.

Abstract

Immunohistochemical staining utilizing a peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) technique for keratin, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was performed on paraffin sections from 72 cases of lung cancer obtained at autopsy. Positive reaction was shown in 44% of the cases for keratin, 77% for CEA, and 58% for HCG. AFP was positive in only one case of large cell carcinoma. Keratin was positive in 100% of squamous cell carcinoma, 53% of adenocarcinoma,15% of small cell carcinoma and 45% of large cell carcinoma. CEA showed positive staining in 90% of squamous cell carcinoma, 88% of adenocarcinoma, 58% of small cell carcinoma and 69% of large cell carcinoma. CEA was the most useful tumor marker for detection of all types of lung cancer. HCG was positive in 30% of squamous cell carcinoma, 100% of adenocarcinoma, 23% of small cell carcinoma and 56% of large cell carcinoma. lung cancer ; immunohistochemistry ; keratin ; CEA ; HCG ; AFP Pulmonary carcinoma is divided into four large groups ; squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, small cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma. If tumors have morphologically characteristic features such as keratin pearl or glandular structure, it may not be difficult to make the diagnosis of typing. Diagnostic agreement in lung cancer was less than 50% for poorly differentiated tumors, especially in the polygonal small cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma growing in sheets, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with little gland formation, and poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma without keratin (Yesner 1978). Unfortunately, these tumors comprise over 50% of all lung cancer (Yesner 1978).The presence of keratin has been directly related to increased squamous

Frequency and Clinical Significance of β-Subunit Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

“…Heyderman et al [11] found positive ßHCG immunostaining in 12.5% of samples, Harach et al [24] and Kuida et al [25] in 36% and Boucher and Yoneda [10] in 54% of lung cancer specimens. The data of Boucher and Yoneda [10] are in agreement with the results of ßHCG immunostaining of autopsy material studied by Kimura and Ghandur-Mnaymen [12]. Bepler et al [26] and Acevedo et al [27] noticed also ßHCG presence in a high percentage of lung cancer cell lines.…”

“…Numerous case reports describe lung carcinomas secreting HCG [7][8][9], but only few authors report incidence rates of HCG-positive lung tumors [10][11][12][13]. In our previous study, serum ßHCG was elevated in 14% of 156 small cell lung cancer patients [14], but immunohistochemical analysis was not performed.…”

Human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha‐fetoprotein in cholangiocarcinoma in relation to the expression of ras p21: an immunohistochemical study

“…Besides hepatocellular carcinoma and yolk sac tumor of gonadal and extragonadal origin, elevation of serum AFP and in situ localization of AFP are well known in gastric cancer (22)(23)(24). Although in some of the gastrointestinal AFP-producing cancers, histologic similarities to hepatocellular carcinoma (23) or yolk sac tumor (1 1) have been reported, in the majority of reported cases there were no specific morphologic characteristics of AFP-producing tumor (46) as seen in the present case.…”

α-Fetoprotein–Producing Liver Carcinomas of Primary Extrahepatic Origin

“…Apart from certain germ cell neoplasms, there have been increasing reports of AFP-producing carcinomas in extrahepatic sites, like the lung, 8,11 gastrointestinal tract, 9,10,15,17,[19][20][21][22]24 female genital tract 26,29 and urinary tract. 2,34 Some of these tumors have hepatoid morphology, prompting one to search for a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the liver and ascertain the serum AFP levels and tumor immunoreactivity for AFP.…”