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Expression of VS38 in osteoblasts and stroma cells of bone tumors
I Sulzbacher1, M Fuchs, A Chott
1Institute of Clinical Pathology, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria.
VS38 is a mouse monoclonal antibody which recognizes an intracytoplasmic antigen of 64 kilodaltons present in normal and neoplastic cells. It was reported to be of potential value in identifying myeloma or plasmacytoma in bone marrow or other tissues. During diagnostic analysis of bone marrow biopsies we noticed a consistent staining of osteoblasts with VS38. This led us to investigate the immunoreactivity in a range of bone lesions. 58 lesions were examined in the current study, including benign and malignant tumors as well as tumor like lesions and processes with reactive bone formation. The Streptavidin-peroxidase complex technique was applied on paraffin embedded sections, with 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole serving as chromogen. All osteoblasts of reactive origin and part of the osteoblasts of benign neoplasms showed positive immunostaining. The antibody stained stroma cells in 81.25% (13/16) of the cases of benign osteogenic tumors and in 82.35% (14/17) of the osteosarcomas. Additionally, VS38 labelling was observed in bone tumors of fibrohistiogenic origin such as nonossifying fibroma and giant cell tumor, the histogenesis of which is still being debated. On the whole, it can be concluded that antibody VS38 lacks specificity as a plasma cell marker. It shows, however, a striking affinity to osteoblasts and in part also to stroma cells of osteogenic and fibrohistiogenic bone tumors.
VS38 is a mouse monoclonal antibody which recognizes an intracytoplasmic antigen of 64 kilodaltons present in normal and neoplastic cells. It was reported to be of potential value in identifying myeloma or plasmacytoma in bone marrow or other tissues. During diagnostic analysis of bone marrow biopsies we noticed a consistent staining of osteoblasts with VS38. This led us to investigate the immunoreactivity in a range of bone lesions. 58 lesions were examined in the current study, including benign and malignant tumors as well as tumor like lesions and processes with reactive bone formation. The Streptavidin-peroxidase complex technique was applied on paraffin embedded sections, with 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole serving as chromogen. All osteoblasts of reactive origin and part of the osteoblasts of benign neoplasms showed positive immunostaining. The antibody stained stroma cells in 81.25% (13/16) of the cases of benign osteogenic tumors and in 82.35% (14/17) of the osteosarcomas. Additionally, VS38 labelling was observed in bone tumors of fibrohistiogenic origin such as nonossifying fibroma and giant cell tumor, the histogenesis of which is still being debated. On the whole, it can be concluded that antibody VS38 lacks specificity as a plasma cell marker. It shows, however, a striking affinity to osteoblasts and in part also to stroma cells of osteogenic and fibrohistiogenic bone tumors.