Epithelioid sarcoma: presence of vascular-endothelial cadherin and lack ofepithelial cadherin

Aims: To evaluate the pattern of cadherin expression in epithelioid sarcoma . Methods and results: Seven epithelioid sarcomas were immunostained by a pol yclonal antibody that detects all cadherin subtypes and by monoclonal antib odies that detect epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) and vascular-endothelial cadherin (VE cadherin). In addition, the tumours were immunostained for a variety of epithelial (cytokeratin, EMA, AUA1) and endothelial (Factor VIII -related antigen, CD34, CD31) markers. Tumour cells of all seven epithelioi d sarcomas expressed cadherins. Surprisingly, E-cadherin was not detected i n any of the sarcomas. VE-cadherin was detected in five of seven cases. All seven tumours expressed cytokeratins and EMA but none expressed AUA1. CD34 was detected in six of seven cases and CD31 was detected in a single case. No case expressed Factor VIII-related antigen. Conclusions: Most epithelioid sarcomas strongly express cadherins, a featur e which may contribute to their epithelioid appearance. The absence of dete ctable E-cadherin suggests that epithelial differentiation in these tumours is, at most, incomplete. The expression of VE-cadherin by the majority of cases, in the absence of E-cadherin, is consistent with an element of mesen chymal differentiation, possibly endothelial or perineurial. The additional presence of other markers such as CD34 and CD31 in some cases favours endo thelial differentiation.