Differential expression of glial- and neuronal-associated antigens in human tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system

Abstract

The immunoreactivity of a panel of poly- and monoclonal antibodies raised against different glial and neuronal antigens was investigated in paraffin-embedded specimens of 116 human tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system. We used antibodies against the HNK-1 epitope, which is shared between natural killer cells and the nervous system, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, neurofilaments, S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and myelin basic protein (MBP). HNK-1 immunoreactivity was detectable in nearly all neuroectodermal tumors. Especially in those derived from the neuroepithelium, which include the various types of gliomas, we observed a strong staining with this antibody. The only exceptions were the choroid plexus papillomas and individual ependymomas. In tumors derived from the neural crest HNK-1 reactivity was more variable and less intense. In other tumors of the nervous system HNK-1 was not detectable, except for two out of four malignant lymphomas. In addition to its reactivity with human lymphocytes HNK-1, therefore, seems to be a useful 'marker' for neurogenic tumors in general. GFAP expression was prominent in all astrocytomas and the astrocytic cells within mixed gliomas and gangliogliomas. Immunoreactivity was more variable in glioblastomas and ependymomas, while only isolated GFAP-positive cells were present in oligodendrogliomas, medulloblastomas, one plexus papilloma, and some neurinomas. Vimentin immunoreactivity was found in tumor cells of nearly all tumors of the central nervous system with the exception of oligodendrogliomas, most plexus papillomas, neuronal tumors and most medulloblastomas.

Immunohistochemical Characterization of Rat Central and Peripheral Nerve Tumors Induced by Ethylnitrosourea

“…2). However, one must be cautious in judgement of a Contrary to reports (5,12,34) of positive immunoreaction against S-IOO protein and GFAP in oligodendrogliomas, our study demonstrated only 3 of 36 oligodendrogliomas to be weakly positive for S-100 protein while all were negative for GFAP. Conflicting results concerning the presence (5,12,34) or absence (8,6,41) ofGFAP in oligodendrogliomas have been reported, and remains an unresolved controversy.…”

“…Since GFAP is an indication of astrocyte maturation, its absence in anaplastic tumor cells and progenitor cells suggests that poorly differentiated cells are less capable of producing GFAP. However, 2 studies (12,34) indicated that all astrocytomas had a strong GFAP reaction, irrespective of their degree of malignancy.…”

Immunohistochemical and Ultrastructural Investigation of Granular Cell Tumours in Dog, Cat, and Horse*

“…NSE has also been demonstrated within a variety of non-neural normal tissues, including vascular smooth muscles (HAIMOTO et al, 1985), and within non-neural tumours, for instance undifferentiated carcinomas, carcinomas of the breast and ovary, lymphomas, and germ cell tumours (BONNIN and RUBINSTEIN, 1984;CRAS et al, 1988;VINORES et al, 1987). Because of the more widespread and diffuse reactivity, "NSE seems to be less valuable as an indicator for neuronal differentiation" (REIFENBERGER et al, 1987). The positive reaction of vascular smooth muscle cells with polyclonal anti-NSE was a common feature in our investigation.…”

“…The reactivity with the antibody against NSE within both turnours was strong within areas of the GCTs, and weak or negative within the typical basal cell tumour. This might be an indication of a different metabolism in both areas of the tumour (CRAS et al, 1988;REIFENBERGER et al, 1987). Granular basal cell carcinomas are a distinct GCT entity in man (GHADIALLY, 1988;GILLIET et al, 1973;LEBOIT et al, 1991) and are found to contain cytokeratin (SLOOTWEG et al, 1983).…”

Tumorigenesis in transgenic mice in which the SV40 T antigen is driven by the brain-specific FGF1 promoter

“…Speci®cally, tumors in each of the four transgenic lines mentioned above expressed synaptophysin (Fung et al, 1994), whereas the F1B-Tag tumor does not express any of the neuronal markers tested, including synaptophysin and neuronspeci®c enolase (Figure 8). Neither is the F1B-Tag tumor likely to be an oligodendroglioma or choroid plexus papilloma, as it expressed vimentin, which is absent from tumors of the latter types (Reifenberger et al, 1987). Furthermore, the F1B-Tag tumor is unlikely to be an astrocytoma as the mature tumor does not express GFAP.…”