Immunocytochemical study of the expression of mesothelin in fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Diagn Cytopathol 2007 Mar;35(3):143-7
Date
02/17/2007Pubmed ID
17304533DOI
10.1002/dc.20594Scopus ID
2-s2.0-33847659592 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 23 CitationsAbstract
Mesothelin is a potential marker of pancreatic adenocarcinoma that was recently identified by serial analysis of gene expression. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of mesothelin as a marker of pancreatic adenocarcinoma on destained Papanicolaou (Pap) smears and unstained cellblocks from 28 patients using a monoclonal antibody to mesothelin. Intensity and proportion of staining was semiquantitatively graded on a scale of 1-3, and as 0%, 1 to <10%, 10-50%, or >50%. Positive staining for mesothelin was seen in 64% of the direct smears and in 36% of cell block sections. Focal positivity for mesothelin was noted in benign pancreatic tissue in one of 10 cases. Staining was most often focal (<50% of cells) in both direct smears and cell block sections. The overall sensitivity and specificity of mesothelin as a marker for pancreatic adenocarcinoma were 68% and 90%, respectively. Sensitivity was higher in Pap smears than in cell block sections (64% versus 36%). The presence of occasional mesothelin expression in benign tissue, its very focal expression in malignant tissue may limit the utility of mesothelin as a marker of pancreatic adenocarcinomas in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens.
Author List
Baruch AC, Wang H, Staerkel GA, Evans DB, Hwang RF, Krishnamurthy SAuthor
Douglas B. Evans MD Chair, Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdenocarcinomaAdult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biopsy, Fine-Needle
Female
GPI-Linked Proteins
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Male
Membrane Glycoproteins
Middle Aged
Pancreas
Pancreatic Neoplasms
Papanicolaou Test
Vaginal Smears
