Rl. Attanoos et al., MESOTHELIOMA-BINDING ANTIBODIES - THROMBOMODULIN, OV-632 AND HBME-1 AND THEIR USE IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF MALIGNANT MESOTHELIOMA, Histopathology, 29(3), 1996, pp. 209-215
The aim of this study was to examine the expression of three putative
mesothelioma-binding antibodies, thrombomodulin, OV 632 and HBME-1 in
42 malignant mesotheliomas (27 pleural and 15 peritoneal) and 32 pulmo
nary adenocarcinomas. Evaluation of their use in differentiating betwe
en the mesotheliomas and pulmonary adenocarcinomas was assessed. Throm
bomodulin was expressed by 22 of 42 (52%) mesotheliomas but was seen i
n eight of 12 pure epithelial-type mesotheliomas of the pleura and in
all four papillary epithelial peritoneal mesotheliomas, For pure epith
elial mesotheliomas thrombomodulin was 75% sensitive, Only two of 32 p
ulmonary adenocarcinomas were immunoreactive yielding a 94% specificit
y for thrombomodulin, In comparison, OV 632 and HBME-1 showed 67% and
62% antibody sensitivity, respectively, for malignant mesothelioma but
this was accompanied by low specificity (OV 632, 37%; HBME-1, 28%), B
oth OV 632 and HBME-1 are considered unsuitable for use in differentia
ting between mesotheliomas and pulmonary adenocarcinomas. We advocate
the use of thrombomodulin as a mesothelioma-binding antibody in the st
andard panel of antibodies used in the evaluation of malignant mesothe
lioma.