Table 1: Tumor Immunohistochemistry. A uterine nodule biopsy was sent to pathology, which demonstrated a low-grade papillary neoplasm of unknown origin. Immunoprofiling of the uterine nodule biopsy showed that the cells were PAX8+, ER+, PR+, claudin 4+, Ber-EP4+, WT1-, D240-, calretinin focally+, and had WT p53 expression, which suggests serous differentiation. Positive tumor markers are displayed in bold.


Tumor Marker

Function & Clinical Context

Commonly Associated Gynecologic Cancers

PAX8

Migration & adhesion of epithelial cells [8]

 

Development and differentiation of thyroid, kidney, brain, eyes, and Müllerian system epithelial cells [8,9]

 

Regulates expression of the Wilms tumor suppressor gene (WT1) [9]

High grade serous ovarian carcinoma [10]

 

Ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma [10]

 

Mixed carcinoma of ovary [10]

 

Endometrial

adenocarcinoma [10]

ER

Maintain ovarian granulosa cell differentiation [11]

 

Follicle and oocyte growth and development [11]

ER+ breast cancers

 

Uterine cancers

 

Ovarian cancers

 

Granulosa cell tumors [12]

PR

Increases vascularization of endometrium [12]

 

Inhibits lactation [12]

 

Reduces uterine

Contractility [12]

 

Upregulates osteoblast activity [12]

PR+ breast cancers [13]

 

Ovarian cancers [13]

 

Granulosa cell tumors [12]

Claudin 4

Alteration of tight junction permeability in epithelial cells [14]

Epithelial ovarian cancers [15]

 

Epithelial breast cancers [15]

 

Ber-EP4

Monoclonal antibody which detects epithelial-glycoprotein-adhesion-molecules (epCAM) proteins present on both normal and abnormal epithelia [16]

Serous ovarian carcinoma [16]

 

Mucinous ovarian

Carcinoma [16]

 

Endometrioid ovarian carcinoma [16]

 

Clear cell ovarian

Carcinoma [16]

WT1

Encodes a zinc finger transcription factor that plays an important role in cell growth and differentiation in renal, mesothelial, gonadal, uterine, and progenitor tissues [17]

 

mRNA metabolism [18]

High grade serous ovarian carcinoma [18]

 

Gonadoblastoma [19]

D240

Monoclonal antibody marker for lymphatic endothelium which is used to indicate lymphatic invasion of a primary tumor [20]

n/a

Calretinin

Calcium binding protein which controls intracellular calcium signaling in some neurons, ovarian stroma, adipocytes, and mesothelial cells [21]

Sex cord stromal tumors [21]

 

Serous ovarian carcinoma [21]

 

Endometrioid ovarian carcinoma [21]

 

Clear cell ovarian carcinoma [21]

Wild Type p53

Inhibits cell cycle at G1/S and G2/M checkpoints [22]

 

Induces apoptosis [23]

 

n/a