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Vimentin expression by Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's disease
C A Angel1, R A Cullen, J H Pringle
1Department of Pathology, University of Sheffield Medical School, UK.
Virchows Archiv. A, Pathological Anatomy and Histopathology
|January 1, 1992
Insights
Vimentin was expressed in 66% of Hodgkin
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Immunohistochemistry
Background:
- Hodgkin's disease (HD) is a lymphoma characterized by neoplastic Reed-Sternberg cells.
- Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein typically found in mesenchymal cells, but its role in lymphomas is under investigation.
- Understanding the expression of cellular markers like vimentin can provide insights into the biology and potential origins of cancer cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of vimentin in Reed-Sternberg cells within Hodgkin's disease samples.
- To determine the prevalence of vimentin expression across different subtypes of Hodgkin's disease.
- To explore potential correlations between vimentin expression and immunophenotypic characteristics of HD.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 61 Hodgkin's disease biopsy samples.
- Utilized the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique for immunohistochemical staining.
- Evaluated vimentin expression specifically within Reed-Sternberg cells.
Main Results:
- Vimentin expression was detected in 40 out of 61 (66%) of the examined Hodgkin's disease samples.
- Vimentin positivity was observed across all investigated subtypes of Hodgkin's disease.
- No significant immunophenotypic differences were identified between vimentin-positive and vimentin-negative cases.
Conclusions:
- Vimentin is frequently expressed in Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin's disease.
- The consistent expression across subtypes suggests a potential role in HD pathogenesis.
- The precise significance of vimentin expression in HD requires further investigation, possibly relating to neoplastic cell growth and differentiation.
Abstract:
The expression of vimentin in Reed-Sternberg cells in 61 samples of Hodgkin's disease (HD) was examined using an avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique. Forty biopsies (66%) expressed vimentin, and expression was seen in all subtypes of HD. No immunophenotypic differences between vimentin-positive and vimentin-negative cases were noted. The significance of such expression is unclear, but may be related to the alterations in growth and differentiation that are typical of neoplastic cells.