Source/Clones
Accurate, Biodesign (polyclonal), Biogenesis (219-2, BIOAFP003, polyclonal), Biogenex (A-013-01), Bioprobe (F2, C3), Biotec (XFD05, polyclonal), Camon, Cymbus Bioscience (946.11), Dako (polyclonal), Immunotech (IC5, C3), Pierce (ZGAFP1), Sigma (C3) and Zymed (ZSA06, ZMAF2, polyclonal).
Fixation/Preparation
The antibody is immunoreactive in routinely prepared sections. HIER enhances staining.
Background
a-Fetoprotein (AFP) is a glycoprotein composed of 590 amino acid residues. Cells of the embryonic yolk sac, fetal liver and intestinal tract synthesize this glycoprotein. By immunostaining, the antigen is detectable in hepatocellular carcinoma, and gonadal and extragonadal germ cell tumors, including yolk sac tumors. It is otherwise not present in adult tissues.
Applications
Staining for AFP is largely used for the identification of the glycoprotein in germ cell tumors and in the separation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from its mimics such as cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic carcinoma in the liver (Appendix 1.8). Unfortunately, although specific, AFP is of low sensitivity and estimated to be present in no more than 44% of hepatocellular carcinomas (Chedid et al, 1990). Other antibodies employed in a panel may be useful in this context. They include antialbumin (specific to HCC but not a sensitive marker), cytokeratin 19 (expressed by bile duct epithelium and cholangiocarcinoma), cytokeratin 20 (expressed by both cholangiocarcinoma and gastrointestinal tract tumors), polyclonal CEA (highlights bile canaliculi in HCC but stains the cytoplasm of cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic adenocarcinoma diffusely)a, -1-antitrypsin (found in HCC but of low specificity, being expressed in various carcinomas) (Leong et al, 1998) and sialoglycoproteins such as B72.3 and Leu M1 (found in some metastatic adenocarcinomas) (Fucich et al, 1994; Guindi et al, 1994). Another mimic of HCC is the recently described hepatoid tumor that has immunophenotypic characteristics similar to that of HCC, including staining for AFP, canalicular staining for CEA and a-1-antitrypsin. Such tumors have been described in the urinary bladder, lung, gastrointestinal tract and focally in germ cells tumors (Ishikura et al, 1990; Sinard et al, 1994). They represent areas of true hepatocellular differentiation.
Comments
We employ clone A-013-01, routinely following HIER.
References
•Chedid A, Chejfec G, Eichorst M, et al 1990. Antigenic markers for hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer 65:84-87.
•Fucich LF, Cheles MK, Thung SN, et al 1994. Primary versus metastatic hepatic carcinoma. An
immunohistochemical study of 34 cases. Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 118:927-930.
•Guindi M, Yazdi HM, Gilliatt MA 1994. Fine needle aspiration biopsy of hepatocellular carcinoma.
•Value of immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies. Acta Cytologica 38:385-391.
•Ishikura H, Kanda M, Ito M, et al 1990. Hepatoid adenocarcinoma: a distinctive histological subtype of alpha-fetoprotein producing lung tumor.
•Virchows Archives A Pathology, Anatomy and Histopathology 417:73-80.
•Leong AS-Y, Sormunen RT, Tsui WM-S, Liew CT 1998. Immunostaining for liver cancers. With
special reference to Hep Par 1 antibody. Histopathology (in press).
•Sinard J, Macleay LJR, Melamed J 1994. Hepatoid adenocarcinoma in the urinary bladder. Unusual localization of a newly recognized tumor type. Cancer 73: 1919-1925.
Bibliografia
Manual of diagnostic antibodies for immunohistology / Anthony S.-Y. Leong, Kumarasen Cooper, F. Joel W.-M. Leong.
Accurate, Biodesign (polyclonal), Biogenesis (219-2, BIOAFP003, polyclonal), Biogenex (A-013-01), Bioprobe (F2, C3), Biotec (XFD05, polyclonal), Camon, Cymbus Bioscience (946.11), Dako (polyclonal), Immunotech (IC5, C3), Pierce (ZGAFP1), Sigma (C3) and Zymed (ZSA06, ZMAF2, polyclonal).
Fixation/Preparation
The antibody is immunoreactive in routinely prepared sections. HIER enhances staining.
Background
a-Fetoprotein (AFP) is a glycoprotein composed of 590 amino acid residues. Cells of the embryonic yolk sac, fetal liver and intestinal tract synthesize this glycoprotein. By immunostaining, the antigen is detectable in hepatocellular carcinoma, and gonadal and extragonadal germ cell tumors, including yolk sac tumors. It is otherwise not present in adult tissues.
Applications
Staining for AFP is largely used for the identification of the glycoprotein in germ cell tumors and in the separation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from its mimics such as cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic carcinoma in the liver (Appendix 1.8). Unfortunately, although specific, AFP is of low sensitivity and estimated to be present in no more than 44% of hepatocellular carcinomas (Chedid et al, 1990). Other antibodies employed in a panel may be useful in this context. They include antialbumin (specific to HCC but not a sensitive marker), cytokeratin 19 (expressed by bile duct epithelium and cholangiocarcinoma), cytokeratin 20 (expressed by both cholangiocarcinoma and gastrointestinal tract tumors), polyclonal CEA (highlights bile canaliculi in HCC but stains the cytoplasm of cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic adenocarcinoma diffusely)a, -1-antitrypsin (found in HCC but of low specificity, being expressed in various carcinomas) (Leong et al, 1998) and sialoglycoproteins such as B72.3 and Leu M1 (found in some metastatic adenocarcinomas) (Fucich et al, 1994; Guindi et al, 1994). Another mimic of HCC is the recently described hepatoid tumor that has immunophenotypic characteristics similar to that of HCC, including staining for AFP, canalicular staining for CEA and a-1-antitrypsin. Such tumors have been described in the urinary bladder, lung, gastrointestinal tract and focally in germ cells tumors (Ishikura et al, 1990; Sinard et al, 1994). They represent areas of true hepatocellular differentiation.
Comments
We employ clone A-013-01, routinely following HIER.
References
•Chedid A, Chejfec G, Eichorst M, et al 1990. Antigenic markers for hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer 65:84-87.
•Fucich LF, Cheles MK, Thung SN, et al 1994. Primary versus metastatic hepatic carcinoma. An
immunohistochemical study of 34 cases. Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 118:927-930.
•Guindi M, Yazdi HM, Gilliatt MA 1994. Fine needle aspiration biopsy of hepatocellular carcinoma.
•Value of immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies. Acta Cytologica 38:385-391.
•Ishikura H, Kanda M, Ito M, et al 1990. Hepatoid adenocarcinoma: a distinctive histological subtype of alpha-fetoprotein producing lung tumor.
•Virchows Archives A Pathology, Anatomy and Histopathology 417:73-80.
•Leong AS-Y, Sormunen RT, Tsui WM-S, Liew CT 1998. Immunostaining for liver cancers. With
special reference to Hep Par 1 antibody. Histopathology (in press).
•Sinard J, Macleay LJR, Melamed J 1994. Hepatoid adenocarcinoma in the urinary bladder. Unusual localization of a newly recognized tumor type. Cancer 73: 1919-1925.
Bibliografia
Manual of diagnostic antibodies for immunohistology / Anthony S.-Y. Leong, Kumarasen Cooper, F. Joel W.-M. Leong.
