Myoid cells in the human thymus and thymoma revealed by three different immunohistochemical markers for striated muscle

Abstract

Specimens of human thymus and thymoma obtained from 81 patients including 22 with myasthenia gravis (MG), ranging in age from 10 weeks of gestation to 75 years were examine by the indirect immunoperoxidase technique using three different striated muscle markers: myoglobin, CPK-mm and beta-enolase. Myoid cells ovoid or elongated in shape were distributed in the medulla and showed positive immunoreactions for myoglobin, CPK-mm and beta-enolase by light and electron microscopy. The antigens were first detectable immunohistochemically in the fetus at the 10th week of gestation and showed a relative increase in number and varying distribution patterns with age involution in non-myasthenic thymuses. In MG cases, the number of myoid cells was smaller than in non-myasthenic cases, especially in markedly involuted thymuses. Myoid cells were occasionally observed within thymomas in areas showing medullary differentiation. Small numbers of cells showing a positive immunoreaction for beta-enolase but not for myoglobin and CPK-mm were scattered in the area predominantly composed of epithelial cells. These cells were occasionally positive for keratin and showed desmosome-like structures but no apparent myofilaments, suggesting that muscle-like differentiation of epithelial cells might occur in the neoplastic process of thymoma.