Davidson´s group present Tenascin-X as a novel diagnostic marker of malignant mesothelioma
Yuan Y, Nymoen DA, Stavnes HT, Rosnes AK, Bjørang O, Wu C, Nesland JM, Davidson B.
Tenascin-X is a novel diagnostic marker of malignant mesothelioma.
Am J Surg Pathol. 2009 Nov;33(11):1673-82.
Tenascin-X protein expression was studied in 183 effusions (137 carcinomas of different origin, 37 mesotheliomas, and 9 reactive effusions) and 178 solid lesions (122 ovarian/peritoneal carcinomas and 56 mesotheliomas) using immunohistochemistry. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed significantly higher TNXB mRNA level in mesotheliomas compared with ovarian and breast carcinomas (P < 0.001). By immunohistochemistry, tenascin-X protein expression was significantly higher in malignant mesothelioma compared with metastatic carcinoma in effusions (34 of 37 vs. 31 of 137 positive cases; sensitivity = 92% and specificity = 77%; P < 0.001). Reactive mesothelial cells had focal or no tenascin-X expression. Tenascin-X protein was detected in 41 of 56 mesothelioma biopsy specimens and was uniformly absent from all 122 ovarian carcinomas (sensitivity = 73% and specificity = 100%; P < 0.001). Our data suggest that tenascin-X may be a new diagnostic marker of malignant mesothelioma in the differential diagnosis of cancers involving the serosal cavities, particularly in the differential diagnosis between this tumor and ovarian/peritoneal serous carcinoma.
