Assessment of the Utility of PAX8 Immunohistochemical Stain in Diagnosing Endocervical Glandular Lesions.

Abstract

CONTEXT:

PAX8, a member of the paired-box family of genes, is expressed in many tumors of Müllerian origin. However, it is unclear whether PAX8 is a useful marker in diagnosing endocervical glandular lesions because of limited data.

OBJECTIVE:

To study the expression of PAX8 in endocervical glandular lesions.

DESIGN:

We first studied a cohort of 29 cervical cone biopsies, followed by a second cohort of 17 cases of endocervical adenocarcinoma and 20 cases of uterine endometrioid adenocarcinoma.

RESULTS:

In the first cohort, we found that PAX8 was expressed in 23 of 23 (100%) benign endocervical glandular epithelium, 15 of 16 (94%) adenocarcinoma in situ, and 21 of 26 (81%) invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma specimens. In the second cohort, endocervical adenocarcinomas were positive for PAX8 in 14 of 17 (82%), strongly and diffusely positive for p16 in 14 of 17 (82%), positive for carcinoembryonic antigen in 12 of 17 (71%), positive for vimentin in 2 of 17 (12%), and positive for estrogen receptor in 7 of 17 cases (41%). Uterine endometrioid cancer was positive for PAX8 in 20 of 20 (100%), weakly and/or patchy positive for p16 in 17 of 20 (85%), positive for carcinoembryonic antigen in 2 of 20 (10%), positive for vimentin in 19 of 20 (95%), and positive for estrogen receptor in 20 of 20 cases (100%).

CONCLUSIONS:

PAX8 is expressed in the majority of benign, premalignant, and malignant endocervical glandular lesions. The usefulness of PAX8 in differentiating endocervical from endometrial lesions is limited.

• Authors: Li Liang, Wenxin Zheng, Jinsong Liu, Sharon X Liang
• Journal: Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine (Arch Pathol Lab Med) Vol. 140 Issue 2 Pg. 148-52 (Feb 2016) ISSN: 1543-2165 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 26910219 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• PAX8 Transcription Factor
• PAX8 protein, human
• Paired Box Transcription Factors

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (diagnosis)
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Biomarkers, Tumor (analysis)
• Carcinoma, Endometrioid (diagnosis)
• Endometrial Neoplasms (diagnosis)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Middle Aged
• PAX8 Transcription Factor
• Paired Box Transcription Factors (analysis, biosynthesis)
• Uterine Cervical Neoplasms (diagnosis)
• Uterine Cervical Dysplasia (diagnosis)