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    Small cell carcinoma is a rare malignant disease with high mortality, which is pathologically diagnosed by using routine neuroendocrinal markers, such as neuron-specific enolase (NSE), synaptophysin (SYN), chromogranin A (CgA). This study was to investigate the expression of CD56, a neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), in small cell carcinoma tissues, and to explore the possibility of CD56 as a diagnostic marker of small cell carcinoma.Eighty samples of small cell carcinoma were collected, including 42 samples of small cell lung carcinoma (with 20 cases of lymph node metastases), 21 samples of small cell esophageal carcinoma, and 17 samples of small cell colorectal carcinoma. Thirty-eight samples of non-small cell lung cancer (with 28 cases of lymph node metastases), including 26 samples of squamous cell carcinoma and 12 samples of adenocarcinoma, were used as control. All samples were detected using markers of CD56, NSE, SYN, CgA, cytokeratin (CK), and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) immunohistochemically.Positive rate of CD56 was significantly higher in either small cell lung carcinoma or their metastatic lymph nodes than in either non-small cell lung carcinoma or their metastatic lymph nodes [90.5% (38/42) vs. 7.8% (3/38), 90.0% (18/20) vs. 3.5% (1/28); H=85.731, P<0.001]. Positive rate of CD56 in small cell carcinoma samples (86.3%, 69/80) were significantly higher than those of SYN (78.8%, 63/80), CgA (73.8%, 59/80), EMA (66.3%, 53/80), CK (61.3%, 49/80), and NSE (56.3%, 45/80) (H=38.871, P<0.001). Positive rate of CD56 in small cell lung carcinoma (90.5%, 38/42) was similar to those in small cell esophageal carcinoma (81.0%, 17/21) and small cell colorectal carcinoma (82.4%, 14/17) (H=1.651, P=0.438).CD56 is highly expressed in either small cell carcinoma or their metastatic lymph nodes without organ-specificity. It could serve as a potential diagnostic marker of small cell carcinoma.
    Large cell
    Chromogranin A
    Synaptophysin
    Citations (8)
    Abstract Context.—The cytologic features of small cell carcinoma of the lung are well described. Nevertheless, some small cell carcinomas may be difficult to reproducibly distinguish from non–small cell carcinomas, and this distinction carries significant clinical importance. Objective.—To correlate the cytologic features of individual cases of small cell carcinoma of the lung in fine-needle aspiration specimens from the College of American Pathologists Non-Gynecologic Peer Comparison Cytology Program with the frequency of misclassification as non– small cell carcinoma. Design.—We reviewed 1185 interpretations of 23 different cases of small cell carcinoma in lung fine-needle aspiration specimens and correlated the cytologic features noted in these cases with performance in the program. Results.—Cases were divided into those that were frequently misclassified as non–small cell carcinoma (at least 10% of the responses, 11 cases) and those that were infrequently misclassified as non–small cell carcinoma (&lt;5% of all responses, 12 cases). All cases had areas on the slides with classic features of small cell carcinoma. However, 10 of 11 cases that were frequently misclassified as non–small cell carcinoma had cells with either increased cytoplasm (4 cases), cytoplasmic globules (so-called paranuclear blue bodies) (3 cases), or apparent intracytoplasmic lumina (3 cases). These features were not identified in cases that were infrequently misclassified (P = .005). In addition, cases more frequently misclassified as non–small cell carcinoma tended to show better overall cellular and group preservation. Conclusions.—Frequent misclassification of small cell carcinoma as non–small cell carcinoma in lung fine-needle aspiration specimens in this program correlates strongly with the presence of cytoplasmic features that may suggest non–small cell carcinoma or with the presence of paranuclear blue bodies. Misclassification in this program may reflect a variety of factors, including the variation in the cytologic features of individual cases, but also the lack of wide recognition that some features of non–small cell carcinoma may also be noted in well-preserved cases of small cell carcinoma.
    Cytopathology
    Large cell
    Abnormalities of the p53 oncogene in lung cancer have recently been reported to be more frequent in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) than in non-small cell lung cancer (non-SCLC), but their status in combined type SCLC is as yet unknown. In this study, immunohistochemical analysis using a polyclonal antibody against p53 protein was performed in 12 surgically resected specimens of combined type SCLC. Immunoreactivity of the p53 protein was found in 5 (42%) of the 12 cases, and the immunostaining pattern of the p53 protein in areas of the non-small cell carcinoma type was the same as in those of the small cell carcinoma type. Thus, it seems that the incidence of p53 abnormalities in combined type SCLC is slightly lower than in ordinary type SCLC. It is also suggested that abnormalities of the p53 oncogene in this histological type may not be a specific event related to the morphological difference between small cell carcinoma and non-small cell carcinoma.
    Immunostaining
    Abstract Context.—The cytologic features of small cell carcinoma of the lung are well described. Nevertheless, some small cell carcinomas may be difficult to reproducibly distinguish from non–small cell carcinomas, and this distinction carries significant clinical importance. Objective.—To correlate the cytologic features of individual cases of small cell carcinoma of the lung in fine-needle aspiration specimens from the College of American Pathologists Non-Gynecologic Peer Comparison Cytology Program with the frequency of misclassification as non– small cell carcinoma. Design.—We reviewed 1185 interpretations of 23 different cases of small cell carcinoma in lung fine-needle aspiration specimens and correlated the cytologic features noted in these cases with performance in the program. Results.—Cases were divided into those that were frequently misclassified as non–small cell carcinoma (at least 10% of the responses, 11 cases) and those that were infrequently misclassified as non–small cell carcinoma (<5%...
    Cytopathology
    Previous studies have suggested that the loss of DNA sequences on the short arm of chromosome 3 (3p) is associated with small-cell lung carcinoma. We therefore looked for loss of 3p alleles in tumor tissue from 42 patients with either small-cell or non-small-cell lung carcinoma. All 13 patients with small-cell lung carcinoma who were heterozygous for one or more alleles at 3p in normal tissue had the loss of at least one codominant allele in the tumor tissue. Cell lines of small-cell lung carcinoma from an additional eight patients were homozygous for 3p alleles; this result was significantly different from the predicted frequency of homozygosity. The tumor tissue studied included cell lines of small-cell lung carcinoma obtained from biopsy specimens, an autopsy sample, and an excised lymph node containing tumor cells. Loss of alleles at 3p was observed in tumor samples obtained before and after chemotherapy. Four of 15 evaluable patients with non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung had loss of 3p alleles. We conclude that loss of alleles at 3p is a change found consistently in small-cell lung carcinoma and occasionally in non-small-cell lung carcinoma.
    Large cell
    Citations (334)