AIMS: Very recent papers proposed a possible role for the expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in the tumourigenesis of gonadal and extragonadal germ cell-derived tumours (GCTs). Our multicentric study evaluated the magnitude of the immunoreactivity for TdT in GCTs, encompassing seminoma, dysgerminoma, mature teratoma and mixed GCTs. METHODS AND RESULTS: The histological series was stained with both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, yielding a positivity of 80% of cases with well-defined nuclear reactivity. A significant difference in staining intensity between monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies was observed (p=0.005). However, exploiting western blot and more innovative proteomic approaches, no clear-cut evidence of the TdT protein was observed in the neoplastic tissues of the series. CONCLUSIONS: Alternatively to the pathogenetic link between TdT expression and GCTs tumourigenesis, we hypothesised the occurrence of a spurious immunohistochemical nuclear cross-reaction, a well-known phenomenon with important implications and a possible source of diagnostic pitfalls in routine practice for pathologists.

TdT expression in germ cell tumours: a possible immunohistochemical cross-reaction and diagnostic pitfall / M. Jaconi, F. Magni, F. Raimondo, M. Ponzoni, C. Chinello, A. Smith, I. Piga, N. Fusco, C. Di Bella, F. Pagni. - In: JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY. - ISSN 0021-9746. - (2019). [Epub ahead of print]

TdT expression in germ cell tumours: a possible immunohistochemical cross-reaction and diagnostic pitfall

N. Fusco;
2019

Abstract

AIMS: Very recent papers proposed a possible role for the expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in the tumourigenesis of gonadal and extragonadal germ cell-derived tumours (GCTs). Our multicentric study evaluated the magnitude of the immunoreactivity for TdT in GCTs, encompassing seminoma, dysgerminoma, mature teratoma and mixed GCTs. METHODS AND RESULTS: The histological series was stained with both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, yielding a positivity of 80% of cases with well-defined nuclear reactivity. A significant difference in staining intensity between monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies was observed (p=0.005). However, exploiting western blot and more innovative proteomic approaches, no clear-cut evidence of the TdT protein was observed in the neoplastic tissues of the series. CONCLUSIONS: Alternatively to the pathogenetic link between TdT expression and GCTs tumourigenesis, we hypothesised the occurrence of a spurious immunohistochemical nuclear cross-reaction, a well-known phenomenon with important implications and a possible source of diagnostic pitfalls in routine practice for pathologists.
differential diagnosis; genital system; germinal cell tumor; haematopoietic; seminoma; tdt; terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase
Settore MED/08 - Anatomia Patologica
2019
4-mag-2019
Article (author)
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/646420
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