Sources/Clones
Beringwerke (polyclonal), Calbiochem (polyclonal) and Novocastra (polyclonal).
Fixation/Preparation
The antibodies are immunoreactive in routinely fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. Staining is enhanced by HIER.
Background
Factor XIIIa is a blood proenzyme found in plasma and platelets. The reaction of Factor XIIIa with fibrin is the last enzyme-catalyzed step on the coagulation cascade, leading to the formation of a normal blood clot stabilized as a result of fibrin crosslinkage. This transglutaminase exists in two forms, as an extracellular or plasma factor XIIIa subunit attached to a dimer of the carrier protein or factor XIIIb and an intracellular factor XIII, which is exclusively the dimer of subunit "a" only. Intracellular factor XIIIa has been identified in a variety of cells including human dendritic reticulum cells in reactive lymphoid follicles, fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells in connective tissue, and neoplastic fibroblastic and fibrohistiocytic lesions (Cerio et al, 1990). The dermal dendrocytes have been characterized as factor XIIIa+ dendritic cells of bone marrow origin that are typically found in the adventitia of dermal blood vessels and in the interstitial dermal connective tissues. In one study of dermal dendritic cells using CD 34 and factor XIIIa, it was found that antigenic profiles differed among the dendritic cell types (Nestle & Nickoloff, 1995). At ultrastructural level, subepidermal dendritic cells (probably identical with lining macrophages) expressed factor XIIIa only, perivascular dermal dendritic cells reacted with both factor XIIIa and CD 34, and reticular dermal dendritic cells were negative for factor XIIIa but positive for CD 34. However, at light microscopic level, perivascular dermal dendritic cells also expressed CD 34.
Applications
The current diagnostic applications of factor XIIIa pertain largely to the identification of dermal dendritic cells and their presence and role in various cutaneous and soft tissue tumors (Takata et al, 1994). Factor XIIIa has been described in various so-called fibrohistiocytic tumors including aneurysmal fibrous histiocytoma (Zelger et al, 1996), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (Nemes & Thomaszy, 1988), dermatofibroma (Nestle et al 1995) and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (Leong & Lim, 1994). In the latter two conditions, factor XIIIa expression appears to be associated with early lesions, with loss of expression in late or "mature" lesions. The marker has been reported to show promise as a diagnostic discriminator between hepatocellular carcinoma and its morphologic mimics cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic carcinoma in the liver (Fucich et al, 1994) although this has not been our experience (unpublished data).
Comments
Reactivity in frozen sections is generally weak. We employ the polyclonal antibody from Calbiochem. We understand that Beringwerke has discontinued distributing the antiserum recently.
References
•Cerio R, Spaull J, Oliver GF, Wilson-Jones E 1990 A study of Factor XIIIa and MAC387 immunolabelling in normal and pathological skin. American Journal of Dermatopathology 12: 221-233.
•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.
•Leong AS-Y, Lim MHT 1994 Immunohistochemical characteristics of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Applied Immunohistochemistry 2: 42-47.
•Nemes Z, Thomaszy V 1988 Factor XIIIa and the classic histiocytic markers in malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Human Pathology 9: 822-829.
•Nestle FO, Nickoloff BJ 1995 A fresh morphological and functional look at dermal dendritic cells. Journal of Cutaneous Pathology 22: 385-393.
•Nestle FO, Nickloff BJ, Burg G 1995. Dermatofibroma: an abortive immunoreactive process mediated by dermal dendritic cells? Dermatology 190: 265-268.
•Takata M, Imai T, Hirone T 1994 Factor XIIIa-positive cells in normal peripheral nerves and cutaneous neurofibromas of type-1 neurofibromatosis. American Journal of Dermatopathology 16: 37-43.
•Zelger BW, Zelger BG, Steiner H, Ofner D 1996 Aneurysmal and hemangiopericytoma-like fibrous histiocytoma. Journal of Clinical Pathology 49: 313-318.
Bibliografía
Manual of diagnostic antibodies for immunohistology / Anthony S.-Y. Leong, Kumarasen Cooper, F. Joel W.-M. Leong.
Beringwerke (polyclonal), Calbiochem (polyclonal) and Novocastra (polyclonal).
Fixation/Preparation
The antibodies are immunoreactive in routinely fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. Staining is enhanced by HIER.
Background
Factor XIIIa is a blood proenzyme found in plasma and platelets. The reaction of Factor XIIIa with fibrin is the last enzyme-catalyzed step on the coagulation cascade, leading to the formation of a normal blood clot stabilized as a result of fibrin crosslinkage. This transglutaminase exists in two forms, as an extracellular or plasma factor XIIIa subunit attached to a dimer of the carrier protein or factor XIIIb and an intracellular factor XIII, which is exclusively the dimer of subunit "a" only. Intracellular factor XIIIa has been identified in a variety of cells including human dendritic reticulum cells in reactive lymphoid follicles, fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells in connective tissue, and neoplastic fibroblastic and fibrohistiocytic lesions (Cerio et al, 1990). The dermal dendrocytes have been characterized as factor XIIIa+ dendritic cells of bone marrow origin that are typically found in the adventitia of dermal blood vessels and in the interstitial dermal connective tissues. In one study of dermal dendritic cells using CD 34 and factor XIIIa, it was found that antigenic profiles differed among the dendritic cell types (Nestle & Nickoloff, 1995). At ultrastructural level, subepidermal dendritic cells (probably identical with lining macrophages) expressed factor XIIIa only, perivascular dermal dendritic cells reacted with both factor XIIIa and CD 34, and reticular dermal dendritic cells were negative for factor XIIIa but positive for CD 34. However, at light microscopic level, perivascular dermal dendritic cells also expressed CD 34.
Applications
The current diagnostic applications of factor XIIIa pertain largely to the identification of dermal dendritic cells and their presence and role in various cutaneous and soft tissue tumors (Takata et al, 1994). Factor XIIIa has been described in various so-called fibrohistiocytic tumors including aneurysmal fibrous histiocytoma (Zelger et al, 1996), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (Nemes & Thomaszy, 1988), dermatofibroma (Nestle et al 1995) and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (Leong & Lim, 1994). In the latter two conditions, factor XIIIa expression appears to be associated with early lesions, with loss of expression in late or "mature" lesions. The marker has been reported to show promise as a diagnostic discriminator between hepatocellular carcinoma and its morphologic mimics cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic carcinoma in the liver (Fucich et al, 1994) although this has not been our experience (unpublished data).
Comments
Reactivity in frozen sections is generally weak. We employ the polyclonal antibody from Calbiochem. We understand that Beringwerke has discontinued distributing the antiserum recently.
References
•Cerio R, Spaull J, Oliver GF, Wilson-Jones E 1990 A study of Factor XIIIa and MAC387 immunolabelling in normal and pathological skin. American Journal of Dermatopathology 12: 221-233.
•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.
•Leong AS-Y, Lim MHT 1994 Immunohistochemical characteristics of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Applied Immunohistochemistry 2: 42-47.
•Nemes Z, Thomaszy V 1988 Factor XIIIa and the classic histiocytic markers in malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Human Pathology 9: 822-829.
•Nestle FO, Nickoloff BJ 1995 A fresh morphological and functional look at dermal dendritic cells. Journal of Cutaneous Pathology 22: 385-393.
•Nestle FO, Nickloff BJ, Burg G 1995. Dermatofibroma: an abortive immunoreactive process mediated by dermal dendritic cells? Dermatology 190: 265-268.
•Takata M, Imai T, Hirone T 1994 Factor XIIIa-positive cells in normal peripheral nerves and cutaneous neurofibromas of type-1 neurofibromatosis. American Journal of Dermatopathology 16: 37-43.
•Zelger BW, Zelger BG, Steiner H, Ofner D 1996 Aneurysmal and hemangiopericytoma-like fibrous histiocytoma. Journal of Clinical Pathology 49: 313-318.
Bibliografía
Manual of diagnostic antibodies for immunohistology / Anthony S.-Y. Leong, Kumarasen Cooper, F. Joel W.-M. Leong.
