CD34 immunoexpression in stromal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract and in mesenteric fibromatoses

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore whether CD34 immunoreactivity can distinguish between different types of gastrointestinal stromal tumour, i.e. smooth muscle and neurogenic. We studied 87 stromal tumours from different sites in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the omentum and mesentery, using a monoclonal antibody to CD34 (QBEND10). We also determined the immunoexpression of smooth muscle and muscle specific actins, S-100 protein, cytokeratin, desmin and vimentin. In addition, 15 cases of mesenteric fibromatosis were tested for CD34. Immunoexpression of CD34 was observed in 40 of the 87 stromal tumours and correlated with evidence of differentiation towards a smooth muscle phenotype. Large intestinal stromal tumours were less likely than gastric lesions to be CD34 positive. None of 15 cases of mesenteric fibromatosis was positive for CD34. We conclude that CD34 immunoexpression is seen in a proportion of stromal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, mesentery and omentum, particularly those of smooth muscle type, and it may be useful as part of an immunohistochemical panel in the differential diagnosis of these neoplasms.

Comparison of CD34, CD31, and Factor VIII–Related Antigen Immunohistochemical Expression in Feline Vascular Neoplasms and CD34 Expression in Feline Nonvascular Neoplasms

“…1,3,4,13,17,27,28 In our study, CD34 labeling was observed in most intestinal adenocarcinomas (5/7) and parathyroid neoplasms (2/2) and sporadically in apocrine gland neoplasms (2/6), squamous cell carcinomas (2/7), follicular neoplasms (1/5), and mammary carcinomas (1/14). In the sole thymoma, CD34 labeling was restricted to the neoplastic thymic epithelial cells (confirmed by immunohistochemistry for pancytokeratin).…”

“…well-characterized in human endothelial cell neoplasms 31 and in nonvascular neoplasms, such as human precursor lymphoid and myeloid neoplasms, 29,31 human and canine gastrointestinal stromal neoplasms, 8,9,17,19,32 and canine and feline meningeal neoplasms.…”

Interstitial cells of Cajal in human gut and gastrointestinal disease

“…Their origin remains unclear, although origin in smooth muscle cells has been proposed (Mikami et al, 1998;Saul et al, 1987). CD34-ir is often present in GIST (Erlandson et al, 1996;Miettinen et al, 1995Miettinen et al, , 1998Monihan et al, 1994;Sakurai et al, 1999), a property shared with various other solid tumors (Chaubal et al, 1994;Silverman and Tamsen, 1996). Kit-ir may be a suitable marker for GIST (Kindblom et al, 1998), possibly superior to CD34-ir .…”

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors and Other Mesenchymal Lesions of the Gut

“…The finding that the majority of stromal tumors stained with CD34, a marker of myeloid progenitor cells, endothelial cells, and some mesenchymal lesions, helped separate GISTs from most true leiomyomas and schwannomas (which are CD34 negative; 4). CD34 positivity in GISTs ranges from 46 to 100%, depending on the site of origin of the tumor (4,5). The least CD34 positivity is seen in small-bowel GISTs (4).…”