An analysis of the sensitivity and specificity of the cytokeratin marker CAM 5.2 for epithelial tumours. Results of a study of 203 sarcomas, 50 carcinomas and 28 malignant melanomas

Abstract

Two hundred and three sarcomas, 40 carcinomas, 10 carcinomas with spindle cell features, 27 malignant melanomas and one spindle cell melanoma were examined using CAM 5.2, a monoclonal antibody to cytokeratin. This antibody which was prepared against colorectal carcinoma cells and which identifies low molecular weight intermediate filament cytokeratin proteins is suitable for use in formalin fixed, paraffin embedded material. Seventeen of the 203 sarcomas showed positive staining. These included 15/21 synovial sarcomas, 1/5 epithelioid sarcomas and 1/18 malignant neural tumours. Five carcinosarcomas showed positive staining of their epithelial components but negative staining of their spindle cell components; three out of four pure spindle cell carcinomas stained positively; a metastasis from a spindle cell renal carcinoma was negative. A spindle cell thymoma also stained positively. Thirty-seven of the 40 carcinomas stained positively; the three negative carcinomas were a squamous cell carcinoma, a renal cell carcinoma and an oat cell carcinoma. All malignant melanomas were negative. These results are compared with those of other workers and the sensitivity and specificity of CAM 5.2 as an epithelial marker is assessed.