S-100 protein in malignant mesotheliomas

Our plain-English summary of S-100 protein in malignant mesotheliomas, by O.O. Rasmussen, K.E. Larsen (Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica, et Immunologica Scandinavica. Section A, Pathology, 1985).

The study

• Authors: O.O. Rasmussen, K.E. Larsen
• Journal: Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica, et Immunologica Scandinavica. Section A, Pathology
• Published: 1985;93(4):199-201
• Cited by: 13 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Recently, the presence of S-100 protein has been described in a few tissues that are not of neuro-ectodermal origin. Here we report the presence of S-100 protein in epithelial and biphasic malignant mesotheliomas and one of seven reactively proliferating mesothelial lesions. Sarcomatous malignant mesotheliomas, six of seven reactive mesothelial lesions and normal mesothelium were without S-100 protein. The presence of S-100 protein in mesothelial cells may indicate intense proliferation.

In plain English

This brief report from a hospital pathology department in Denmark tested whether a protein called S-100 could be found in malignant mesothelioma tissue using a laboratory staining method (immunoperoxidase staining). The authors examined seven pleural or peritoneal malignant mesotheliomas from the period 1979-1985, classified as 3 epithelial, 2 biphasic and 2 sarcomatous. They also examined seven samples of histologically normal mesothelium and seven samples of reactive (non-cancerous) mesothelial changes. Cells of the epithelial and biphasic mesotheliomas stained for S-100 protein. The sarcomatous mesotheliomas, the normal mesothelium and six of the seven reactive samples did not stain. The one reactive sample that stained came from a patient who died of widespread oat cell carcinoma of the lungs one month after the pleural biopsy. The authors concluded that S-100 protein in mesothelial cells suggests intense proliferation, perhaps malignancy or premalignancy. They also suggested the stain may help when malignant mesothelioma has to be told apart from poorly differentiated carcinoma. The article does not report on asbestos exposure.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Brief report: laboratory (immunohistochemistry) study of stored tissue samples from one pathology department
• Who was studied: Seven pleural or peritoneal malignant mesotheliomas from the period 1979-1985, taken from the files of a pathology department at Centralsygehuset, Denmark. These were compared with seven cases of histologically normal mesothelium and seven cases of reactive mesothelial changes.
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure was studied. The study examined staining for S-100 protein in tissue samples.
• Main results:
  • All seven mesotheliomas were of diffuse type: 3 epithelial, 2 biphasic and 2 sarcomatous
  • Electron microscopy confirmed the malignant mesothelioma diagnosis in three of the seven patients
  • Cells of the epithelial and biphasic malignant mesotheliomas stained for S-100 protein
  • The sarcomatous malignant mesotheliomas, six of the seven reactive lesions and the normal mesothelium did not stain for S-100 protein
  • One of the seven reactive mesothelium cases contained S-100 protein
  • The patient with the S-100-positive reactive case died of widespread oat cell carcinoma of the lungs one month after the pleural biopsy
  • Control sera did not stain any of the tissues
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that S-100 protein in mesothelial cells suggests intense proliferation, perhaps malignancy or premalignancy. They also suggested that S-100 staining may be useful when malignant mesothelioma has to be distinguished from poorly differentiated carcinoma.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: S-100, Mesothelioma, Biphasic Mesothelioma, Mesothelium, Mesothelial Cells.

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