Aldolase C in neuroendocrine tumors: an immunohistochemical study

The expression of cerebral type aldolase C was investigated immunohistochemically in six varieties of neuroendocrine (n=57) and six types of non-endocrine tumor (n=76) using the avidin-biotin complex method. Aldolase C expression in the neuroendocrine tumors was also compared with those of chromogranin and gamma enolase. Aldolase C was detected in all the islet cell (7/7) and carcinoid tumors (10/10), thyroid medullary carcinomas (7/7), and pheochromocytomas (10/10), as well as in the majority of neuronal tumors (8/10) and bronchial small cell carcinomas (10/13). Chromogranin immunoreactivity was restricted to the tumors with abundant neuroendocrine granules. Gamma enolase positivity was generally similar to that of aldolase C, but there were some differences. Amongst the bronchial small cell carcinomas, three tumors negative for gamma enolase were positive for aldolase C, while another three tumors were positive for gamma enolase only. However all the small cell carcinomas were positive for at least one of these two enzymes. Aldolase C was detected in 28 (37%) of the 76 non-endocrine tumors and tended to be expressed preferentially in the differentiated portions of these tumors. Although aldolase C was expressed in many bronchial squamous cell carcinomas, the immunoreactivity was localized mainly in keratinizing foci and the less differentiated parts of these tumors expressed the enzyme only occasionally. Thus aldolase C, in conjunction with other neuroendocrine-associated markers, may be of value in identifying tumors of neuroendocrine type.