Large-Scale Tissue Microarray Evaluation Corroborates High Specificity of High-Level Arginase-1 Immunostaining for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Abstract

Arginase-1 catalyzes the conversion of arginine to ornithine and urea. Because of its predominant expression in hepatocytes, it serves as a marker for hepatocellular carcinoma, although other tumor entities can also express arginase-1. To comprehensively determine arginase-1 expression in normal and neoplastic tissues, tissue microarrays containing 14,912 samples from 117 different tumor types and 608 samples of 76 different normal tissue types were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. In normal tissues, arginase-1 was expressed in the liver, the granular layer of the epidermis, and in granulocytes. Among tumors, a nuclear and cytoplasmic arginase-1 immunostaining was predominantly observed in hepatocellular carcinoma, where 96% of 49 cancers were at least moderately positive. Although 22 additional tumor categories showed occasional arginase immunostaining, strong staining was exceedingly rare in these entities. Staining of a few tumor cells was observed in squamous cell carcinomas of various sites. Staining typically involved maturing cells with the beginning of keratinization in these tumors and was significantly associated with a low grade in 635 squamous cell carcinomas of various sites (p = 0.003). Teratoma, urothelial carcinoma and pleomorphic adenomas sometimes also showed arginase expression in areas with squamous differentiation. In summary, arginase-1 immunohistochemistry is highly sensitive and specific for hepatocellular carcinoma if weak and focal staining is disregarded.

• Authors: Maximilian Lennartz, Eva Gehrig, Sören Weidemann, Natalia Gorbokon, Anne Menz, Franziska Büscheck, Claudia Hube-Magg, Andrea Hinsch, Viktor Reiswich, Doris Höflmayer, Christoph Fraune, Frank Jacobsen, Christian Bernreuther, Patrick Lebok, Guido Sauter, Waldemar Wilczak, Stefan Steurer, Eike Burandt, Andreas H Marx, Ronald Simon, Till Krech, Till S Clauditz, Sarah Minner, David Dum, Ria Uhlig
• Journal: Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) (Diagnostics (Basel)) Vol. 11 Issue 12 (Dec 14 2021) ISSN: 2075-4418 [Print] Switzerland
• PMID: 34943588 (Publication Type: Journal Article)