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(American Journal of Pathology. 1999;154:23-28.)
© 1999 American Society for Investigative Pathology

Short Communications

Embryonic Form of Smooth Muscle Myosin Heavy Chain (SMemb/MHC-B) in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor and Interstitial Cells of Cajal

From the Department of Pathology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan

Myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to clarify a possible link between gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Using monoclonal antibodies against MHC isoforms, 18 of 27 GISTs (67%) showed immunoreactivity for non-smooth-muscle myosin or the embryonic form of MHC (SMemb), but only one tumor showed immunoreactivity for smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific isoforms (SM1 and SM2). Co-expression of KIT or CD34, which is also expressed in GIST and ICCs, was demonstrated in 18 (100%) and 16 SMemb-positive tumors (89%), respectively. Otherwise, the expression of SMemb in GIST was not correlated with the patient's age or sex, tumor size, histological grade of GIST, or expression of mesenchymal cell markers, such as -smooth muscle actin (-SMA) or S100 protein. By double-fluorescence immunostaining of the tunica muscularis of the GI tract wall, co-expression of KIT, CD34, and SMemb was demonstrated in ICCs, which were negative for SM1 and SM2. RT-PCR analysis confirmed that GIST expressed SMemb-mRNA, which lacked neuronal cell-specific inserts of 30 bp. These facts further strengthen the current hypothesis that GIST is a tumor of ICCs.

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