Lung tumors neuroendocrine markers

Matsuki and colleagues evaluated histidine decarboxylase, an enzyme of the amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation system known to be distributed in mast cells and enterochromaffin-like cells, with the hypothesis that this enzyme was a marker for neuroendocrine differentiation. The authors found that the anti-histidine decarboxylase antibody stained most small cell lung cancers (18 of 23 sensitivity 0.78) and was rarely reactive with non-neuroendocrine lung tumors... 

Mertz EE, Vyberg M, Paulsen SM. Immunohistochemical detection of neuroendocrine markers in tumors of the lungs and gastrointestinal tract. Appl Immunohistochem. 1998 6 175-180. 

Small cell carcinoma of the lung contains abundant CgA mRNA but very little stored chromogranin A protein whereas Ewing s sarcoma expresses Sgll but no CgA and NSE can be expressed other non-neuroendocrine cells. This difference in the expression pattern of these neuroendocrine markers makes it important to use a primer panel (multiplex PCR) complementary to different neuroendocrine markers, this approach helps to minimize false-negative results and can be successfully used for the detection and monitoring of micrometastases and circulating cells of different neuroendocrine tumors. 

Detection of Micrometastases and Circulating Tumor Cells of Tumors with Neuroendocrine Diflerentiation, PNET and Small Cell Carcinoma of the Lung by Amplification of Neuroendocrine-Specific Markers mRNA Chromogranin A, Neuron-Specific Enolase, Choline Acetyltransferase, Secretogranin II and Somatostatin Receptor Type 2... 

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