A new rabbit monoclonal E-cadherin antibody [EP700Y] shows higher sensitivity than mouse monoclonal E-cadherin [HECD-1] antibody in breast ductal carcinomas and does not stain breast lobular carcinomas.

Abstract

Immunohistochemical studies have shown E-cadherin to be expressed in breast carcinomas showing a ductal histology, with a corresponding loss of expression in tumors with a lobular histology. As a result, mouse monoclonal anti-E-cadherin [HECD-1] has been used by pathologists to differentiate between ductal and lobular carcinomas, with currently published sensitivity and specificity rates of approximately 90%. Rabbit monoclonal antibodies may combine the best properties of both mouse monoclonal antibodies and rabbit antisera. Therefore, this study compares the staining sensitivity and specificity of a new rabbit monoclonal E-cadherin and the standard mouse monoclonal E-cadherin [HECD-1] in breast ductal carcinomas, and evaluates a cocktail of rabbit monoclonal E-cadherin and p120 catenin in the discrimination of ductal from lobular carcinomas. The rabbit E-cadherin showed sharper staining and increased sensitivity (80/81, 99%) than the mouse E-cadherin (75/81, 93%). The rabbit E-cadherin achieved a score of 3+ in 85.2% (69/81) of cases as compared with a 3+ in only 21.0% (17/81) of cases stained with mouse E-cadherin. All lobular carcinomas (n=37) were confirmed by the absence of E-cadherin and the diffuse cytoplasmic expression of p120 catenin. Although both the single mouse E-cadherin and dual stain can differentiate ductal from lobular lesions, the dual stain is helpful in challenging cases because of its bright pink p120 catenin and dark brown rabbit E-cadherin staining. The highly sensitive rabbit E-cadherin antibody is the preferred antibody for evaluating ductal carcinomas and for distinguishing ductal versus lobular lesions, and the dual stain was superior to the single E-cadherin stain.

• Authors: Laura L Hoang, Ping Tang, David G Hicks, Huijiao Chen, Qi Yang, Thomas S Haas, Ryan E Bremer, David Tacha
• Journal: Applied immunohistochemistry & molecular morphology : AIMM (Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol) Vol. 22 Issue 8 Pg. 606-12 (Sep 2014) ISSN: 1533-4058 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24569788 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Cadherins

Topics

• Animals
• Antibodies, Monoclonal (immunology)
• Breast Neoplasms (diagnosis, immunology)
• Cadherins (immunology)
• Carcinoma, Ductal (diagnosis, immunology)
• Carcinoma, Lobular (diagnosis, immunology)
• Female
• Humans
• Mice
• Rabbits
• Sensitivity and Specificity