Summary
Six cases of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the breast (SCB) were studied with a panel of anti-bodies directed against epithelial and sarcomatoid components. The monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) AE-1/3, CAM 5.2, and CEA were used to detect epithelial differentiation; polyclonal antibodies against S-100 protein and MoAb against the intermediate filaments desmin and vimentin were used to detect mesenchymal differentiation in the sarcomatoid component. Six cases of invasive duct carcinoma (IDC) and two cases of cystosarcoma phyllodes (CP) were compared to SCB using the same panel of antibodies. In all three groups studied, the epithelial component in the majority of cases stained with anti-cytokeratin antibodies. S-100 protein antibodies stained the epithelial and sarcomatoid components in four cases of SCB; vimentin MoAb stained the epithelium in two cases and the sarcomatoid component in four cases of SCB, while MoAb CEA failed to stain any component of SCB. In contrast, the epithelium in five of six cases of IDC stained with CEA MoAb and only one of six stained for S-100 protein. Possible reasons for the discrepant immunohistochemical staining patterns among SCB, IDC and CP are discussed, in addition to the limitations and pitfalls of immunohistochemistry in diagnostic surgical pathology.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Battifora HA (1976) Spindle cell carcinoma. Ultrastructural evidence of squamous origin and collagen production by tumor cells. Cancer 37:2275–2282
Bauer TW, Rostock RA, Eggleston JC, Baral E (1984) Spindle cell carcinoma of the breast. Hum Pathol 15:147–152
Blobel GA, Moll R, Franke WW, Kayser KW, Gould VE (1985) The intermediate filament cytoskeleton of malignant mesotheliomas and its diagnostic significance. Am J Pathol 121:235–247
Cooper D, Schermer A, Sun TT (1985) Biology of disease. Classification of human epithelia and their neoplasms using monoclonal antibodies to keratins: Strategies, applications and limitations. Lab Invest 52:243–256
Gersell DJ, Katzenstein AA (1981) Spindle cell carcinoma of the breast: A clinicopathologic and ultrastructural study. Hum Pathol 6:550–561
Gonzalez-Licea A, Yardley JH, Hartmann WH (1967) Malignant tumor of the breast with bone formation. Studies by light and electron microscopy. Cancer 20:1234–1247
Gould VE (1985) The coexpression of distinct classes of intermediate filaments in human neoplasms. Arch Pathol Lab Med 109:984–985
Gown AM, Vogel AM (1984) Monoclonal antibodies to human intermediate filament proteins. II. Distribution of filament proteins in normal human tissues. Am J Pathol 114:309–321
Harris M, Persaud V (1974) Carcinosarcoma of the breast. Pathology 112:99–105
Holthoeffer H, Miettinen A, Paasivuo R, Lehto VP, Linder E, Alfthan O, Virtanen I (1983) Cellular origin and differentiation of renal carcinomas. Lab Invest 49:317–326
Hsu HM, Raine L, Fanger H (1981) Use of avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) in immunoperoxidase techniques: A comparison between ABC and unlabeled (PAP) procedures. J Histochem Cytochem 29:577–580
Huvos AG, Lucas JC, Jr, Foote FW, Jr (1973) Metaplastic breast carcinoma. NY State J Med 73:1078–1082
Kahn HJ, Marks A, Thomas H, Baumal R (1983) Role of antibody to S-100 protein in diagnostic pathology. Am J Clin Pathol 79:341–347
Kahn LB, Uys CJ, Dale J, Rutherford S (1978) Carcinoma of the breast with metaplasia to chondrosarcoma: A light and electron microscopic study. Histopathology 2:93–106
Kaufman MW, Marti JR, Gallager HS, Hoehn JL (1984) Carcinoma of the breast with pseudosarcomatous metaplasia. Cancer 53:1908–1917
Lee A, Dwarkanath S, De Lellis RA, Rosen PP (1986) S-100 protein in breast carcinomas. Lab Invest 54:35A
Makin CA, Babrow LG, Bodmer WF (1984) Monoclonal antibody to cytokeratin for use in routine histopathology. J Clin Pathol 37:975–983
McDivitt RW, Stewart FW, Berg JW (1968) Tumors of the Breast. Atlas of Tumor Pathology, Series 2, Fascicle 2. Washington DC, Armed Forces Institute fo Pathology, pp 94–101
Miettinen M, Clark R, Lehto VP, Virtanen I, Damjanov I (1985) Intermediate filament proteins in parathyroid glands and adenomas. Arch Pathol Lab Med 109:986–989
Miettenin M, Franssila KO, Lehto VP, Paasivuo R, Virtanen I (1984) Expression of intermediate filaments in thyroid gland and thyroid tumors. Lab Invest 50:262–270
Nakajima T, Wantanabe S, Sato Y, Kameya T, Hirota T, Shimosato Y (1982) An immunoperoxidase study of S-100 protein distribution in normal and neoplastic tissues. Am J Surg Pathol 6:715–727
Nelson WG, Sun TT (1983) The 50- and 58 K dalton keratin classes as molecular markers for stratified squamous epithelia: Cell culture studies. J Cell Biol 97:244–251
Osborn M, Weber K (1983) Biology of disease. Tumor diagnosis by intermediate filament typing: A novel tool for surgical pathology. Lab Invest 48:372–394
Smith BH, Taylor HB (1969) The occurrence of bone and cartilage in mammary tumors. Am J Clin Pathol 51:610–618
Sun TT, Eichner R, Nelson WG, Tseng SCG, Weiss RA, Jarvinen M, Woodcock-Mitchell J (1983) Keratin classes: Molecular markers for different types of epithelial differentiation. J Invest Dermatol 81:1095–115
Vanstapel MJ, Gatter KC, de Wolf-Peeters C, Mason DY, Desmet VD (1986) New sites of human S-100 immunoreactivity detected with monoclonal antibodies. Am J Clin Pathol 85:160–168
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Meis, J.M., Ordóñez, N.G. & Gallager, H.S. Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the breast: An immunohistochemical study of six cases. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 410, 415–421 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00712761
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00712761