Homeobox transcriptional factor engrailed homeobox 1 is expressed specifically in normal and neoplastic sweat gland cells

Abstract

Engrailed homeobox 1 was expressed specifically in normal eccrine glands and was expressed in most of the tumour cells of sweat gland neoplasms with eccrine gland differentiation. En1 was expressed focally in epidermal neoplasms; however, it was absent in sebaceous or hair follicle neoplasms. These findings will help in the histopathological diagnosis as well as understanding of the histogenesis of sweat gland neoplasms.

Homeobox transcription factor engrailed homeobox 1 is a possible diagnostic marker for adenoid cystic carcinoma and polymorphous adenocarcinoma

“…We revealed that En1 is a possible diagnostic marker for AdCC and PAC. As shown previously, 12 En1 was expressed particularly in cutaneous neoplasms with eccrine differentiation, and its expression in sweat gland neoplasms was inversely related to gross cystic disease fluid protein‐15 (GCDFP‐15), which is a possible marker for neoplasms with apocrine differentiation 17 . Accordingly, we studied the relationship between En1 and GCDFP‐15 expression in salivary gland neoplasms with glandular differentiation and discuss the interpretation of En1 expression in salivary gland neoplasms in comparison to cutaneous sweat gland neoplasms.…”

“…In the previous study, consistent expression of En1 was found only in cutaneous eccrine glands and hair arrector muscles of normal adult tissues 12 . It was also expressed specifically in the cutaneous neoplasms with eccrine differentiation, and its expression in sweat gland neoplasms were inversely related to GCDFP‐15, a possible marker for neoplasms with apocrine differentiation 17 .…”

“…It was also expressed specifically in the cutaneous neoplasms with eccrine differentiation, and its expression in sweat gland neoplasms were inversely related to GCDFP‐15, a possible marker for neoplasms with apocrine differentiation 17 . All of these findings suggest that En1 represent eccrine differentiation in sweat gland neoplasms 12 . Here, we studied relationship of En1 and GCDFP‐15 expression in the salivary gland neoplasms with glandular differentiation.…”

“…We recently reported that En1 is expressed in normal eccrine gland cells from the secretory coil to the acrosyringium and in the tumor cells with eccrine gland differentiations, but not in the normal hair follicles, sebaceous glands, apocrine glands or neoplasms with respective differentiations 12 . AdCC very rarely occurs in the skin originating from sweat glands 13,14 and we were aware that a case of AdCC in the skin expressed En1 (unpublished results).…”

“…The antibodies used for immunohistochemical analysis were: En1 (1:100; Atlas Antibodies, Stockholm, Sweden), 12 KIT (rabbit polyclonal, 1:200; DAKO, Tokyo, Japan), c‐MYB (1:1000, clone EP769Y; Abcam, Tokyo, Japan) 6,7 and GCDFP‐15 (clone 23A3, 1:400; Leica Microsystems, Newcastle, UK). Deparaffinized sections were heated in an antigen retrieval buffer (Nichirei Bioscience, Tokyo, Japan) at 98°C for 40 min, treated with methanol containing 0.3% (v/v) hydrogen peroxide at room temperature for 10 min, and incubated with primary antibodies at room temperature for 4 h. An ABC detection kit for En1 and MYB (Vector, Burlingame, CA, USA) and a Bond Polymer Refine Detection for KIT and GCDFP‐15 (Leica Microsystems), in conjunction with diaminobenzidine for MYB, KIT and GCDFP‐15 or ImmpactDAB for En1 (Vector).…”