Immunohistochemical distribution pattern of intermediate filament proteins in 50 feline neoplasms

Twenty-eight epithelial and 22 nonepithelial feline tumors were studied immunohistochemically. Epithelial tumors were 10 squamous cell carcinomas, two basal cell tumors, two sebaceous gland carcinomas, three apocrine gland carcinomas, three thyroid papillary carcinomas, one thyroid solid carcinoma, one renal clear cell carcinoma, one renal papillary carcinoma, one endometrial carcinoma, and four lung bronchioloalveolar carcinomas. Nonepithelial tumors were 10 fibrosarcomas, one liposarcoma, one leiomyosarcoma, one rhabdomyosarcoma, one hemangiosarcoma, two mast cell tumors, one osteosarcoma, three melanomas, and two lymphomas. Commercially available antibodies directed against high- and low-molecular-weight keratins (keratin, RCK-102, NCL-5D3), vimentin, desmin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament intermediate filament (IF) proteins were used in the avidin—biotin–peroxidase complex technique on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples. All epithelial tumors except the endometrial carcinoma expressed some type of keratin protein. Squamous cell carcinomas expressed high-molecular-weight keratins exclusively. Coexpression of high- and low-molecular-weight keratins was observed in one basal cell tumor, sebaceous and apocrine adenocarcinomas, and thyroid, renal, and lung carcinomas. In addition to keratins, vimentin immunoreactivity was found in all basal cell tumors, all sebaceous gland, thyroid papillary, renal, and lung adenocarcinomas, and one of the apocrine gland adenocarcinomas. Immunoreactivity with GFAP antibody was found in one basal cell tumor and one sebaceous gland adenocarcinoma. The endometrial carcinoma did not react with any of the antibodies applied. Nonepithelial tumors analyzed expressed either vimentin (fibrosarcomas, liposarcoma, haemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumors, osteosarcomas, melanomas) or vimentin and desmin (leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, one fibrosarcoma) IF proteins exclusively. Lymphomas did not react with any of the antibodies employed. These findings indicate that IF proteins antibodies can be included in diagnostic panels of antibodies for immunocharacterization of feline tumors. In addition, they can be used as a basis for the diagnoses of poorly differentiated or undifferentiated feline neoplasms.