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AP2 protein expression as a diagnostic marker in soft tissue tumours
T T Yang1, A C Reed, N A Athanasou
1Department of Pathology Nuffield Department of Orthopaedic Surgery University of Oxford Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre Oxford OX3 7LD UK.
Sarcoma
|June 4, 2008
Summary
The adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (aP2) is a useful marker for identifying lipoblasts in liposarcomas. However, its expression in other mesenchymal tumors necessitates its use within a broader diagnostic panel for accurate tumor classification.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (aP2) is expressed in immature fat cells.
- A monoclonal antibody against aP2 protein aids in identifying lipoblasts and fetal fat cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of aP2 protein expression in differentiating adipose differentiation tumors from other soft tissue tumors.
- To establish optimal immunohistochemical conditions for aP2 detection.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical analysis using a mouse monoclonal antibody against aP2 protein.
- Testing the antibody on paraffin sections of various soft tissue tumors, including liposarcomas, lipoblastomas, and other benign and malignant tumors.
- Optimizing antibody dilution for lipoblast identification.
Main Results:
- Strong aP2 expression was observed in lipoblasts of lipoblastomas and liposarcomas, and in brown fat cells of hibernomas.
- Optimal antibody dilution for identifying lipoblasts was found to be 1:30 to 1:50.
- While most other soft tissue tumors lacked aP2 staining, some myxomas, malignant fibrous histiocytomas, synovial sarcomas, and leiomyosarcomas showed positive staining.
Conclusions:
- aP2 protein expression is a valuable marker for distinguishing lipoblasts in liposarcoma.
- aP2 should be used in conjunction with other markers in a tumor panel to accurately diagnose mesenchymal tumors and avoid misclassification due to cross-reactivity.
