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Alveolar soft part sarcoma. An immunohistochemical, cytologic and electron-microscopic study and a quantitative DNA
S Persson1, J S Willems, L G Kindblom
1Department of Pathology, Sahlgren Hospital, Gothenburg University, Sweden.
Virchows Archiv. A, Pathological Anatomy and Histopathology
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) cells show rhabdomyomatous differentiation, not epithelial or neuroectodermal. Pleomorphic ASPS variants exhibit tetraploid DNA, unlike diploid ordinary ASPS.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare soft tissue malignancy with uncertain histogenesis.
- Understanding ASPS cell differentiation is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cellular type, differentiation, and histogenesis of ASPS.
- To differentiate ordinary ASPS from its pleomorphic variant using various analytical methods.
Main Methods:
- Light microscopy, ultrastructural analysis, immunohistochemistry, cytology, and quantitative DNA analysis were performed on ten ASPS cases.
- Immunohistochemical markers included desmin, cytokeratins, epithelial membrane antigen, HMFG-1, -2, TPA, S-100 protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, neurofilaments, vimentin, myoglobin, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE).
- Collagen IV and laminin were used to detect external lamina material.
Main Results:
- Ultrastructural and desmin-positive findings support rhabdomyomatous differentiation in ASPS.
- Negative results for epithelial and neuroectodermal markers exclude these differentiation pathways.
- Pleomorphic ASPS variants showed tetraploid DNA peaks, distinct from the diploid DNA distribution in ordinary ASPS.
- External lamina material was identified around tumor cell nests and vessels.
Conclusions:
- ASPS exhibits rhabdomyomatous differentiation, with pleomorphic variants showing distinct genetic alterations (tetraploidy).
- Cytologic findings in pleomorphic ASPS may mimic carcinoma, highlighting the need for comprehensive diagnostic approaches.
- The study clarifies the histogenesis of ASPS, supporting a myogenic origin.