Use of monoclonal antibody 1H1, anticortactin, to distinguish normal and neoplastic smooth muscle cells: comparison with anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin and antimuscle-specific actin
Parham, D.M.; Reynolds, A.B.; Webber, B.L.
Human Pathology 26(7): 776-783
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0046-8177
PMID: 7628851
DOI: 10.1016/0046-8177(95)90227-9
Accession: 009706054
In preliminary experiments, we found that 1H1, a monoclonal antibody directed against the v-src substrate cortactin, reacts with smooth muscle, myoepithelium, myofibroblasts, and macrophages in formaldehyde-fixed human tissues. To evaluate the use of this antibody as a diagnostic reagent, we tested the immunohistochemical distribution of cortactin in 61 mesenchymal neoplasms, 11 neuroectodermal neoplasms, and eight embryonal epithelial neoplasms. The results were compared with those obtained using antibodies against alpha-smooth muscle actin and muscle-specific actin on a similar set of tissues. With the exception of positive staining in rhabdomyosarcoma, in this series only tumors with smooth muscle differentiation appeared to contain cortactin (16 of 19 leiomyosarcomas, one infantile fibrosarcoma, one malignant fibrous histiocytoma). Immunoelectron microscopy localized cortactin to the actin-associated dense bodies of the microfilament network. We conclude that cortactin may be a useful adjunct to alpha-smooth muscle actin and muscle-specific actin as a marker for the study and diagnosis of smooth muscle neoplasms and related lesions.