JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND SURGICAL RESEARCH - Special Issue "Pathology", March, 2023

Pages: 1146-1146
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Expression of cytokeratin7, cd10 and vimentin in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: series of 33 cases

Author: Samia Malki, Hinde El Fatemi

Category: JMSR Pathology

Abstract:

Introduction: Clear cell renal carcinoma accounts for 70% of all renal cell carcinomas and occurs sporadically in 95% of cases. Immunohistochemistry is still the most used technique for the diagnosis of epithelial renal tumors, although an increasing role of molecular biology is reported, which is sometimes obligatory for some renal epithelial tumor subtypes.

Materials and Methods : In our work, we have aimed to assess any possible correlation between the expression of three immunohistochemical markers : cytokeratin 7 (Ck7), Cluster of differentiation (CD) 10, and vimentin and the different ISUP nuclear grades in clear cell renal cell carcinoma cases. A total of 33 clear cell renal cell carcinoma cases with different ISUP nuclear grades, were analyzed using three IHC markers (Ck7, CD10, and vimentin).

Our results seem to confirm existing data in the literature, namely the fact that although CK7 tends to be negative in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, its positivity is often observed in low-grade cases, and that CD10 and vimentin are inversely correlated with the expression of CK7.

Discussion and Conclusion : Renal epithelial tumors have required in recent years updates and a new classification system, which has become more challenging.

On the immunohistochemical level, no specific marker of clear cell renal cell carcinoma has been described. However, some markers are described as typical for cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. These include the carbonic anhydrase IX with a strong and diffuse complete membranous staining, CD10, and vimentin. CK7 is classically negative or only focally positive

According to the literature, no diffuse staining with anti-CK7 antibodies is observed in cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. However, different studies reported a wide range of CK7 positivity (0-38%) in these tumors.

CD10 is far from specific, it can help differentiate between clear cell renal cell carcinoma, which shows a sawtooth pattern, and other renal carcinoma subtypes, especially the papillary renal cell carcinoma, which shows a compressed luminal appearance

In many studies, CD10 seems to be inversely correlated with the expression of CK7.

Vimentin is classically reported to be more intense in staining high-grade areas. It may be used in the differential diagnosis against cases of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, especially in the case of the eosinophilic variant of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. This latter shows positive staining with vimentin whereas the former is usually negative.

Keywords: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma, ISUP nuclear grade, Cytokeratin 7, Vimentin, CD10

Full Text:

Expression of cytokeratin7, cd10 and vimentin in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: series of 33 cases

Samia Malki (1), Hinde El Fatemi (2)

(1) Pathology department, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Oujda, Mohammed first University, Oujda, Morocco

(2) Pathology department, University Hospital Hassan II, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, Morocco

Introduction: Clear cell renal carcinoma accounts for 70% of all renal cell carcinomas and occurs sporadically in 95% of cases. Immunohistochemistry is still the most used technique for the diagnosis of epithelial renal tumors, although an increasing role of molecular biology is reported, which is sometimes obligatory for some renal epithelial tumor subtypes.

Materials and Methods : In our work, we have aimed to assess any possible correlation between the expression of three immunohistochemical markers : cytokeratin 7 (Ck7), Cluster of differentiation (CD) 10, and vimentin and the different ISUP nuclear grades in clear cell renal cell carcinoma cases. A total of 33 clear cell renal cell carcinoma cases with different ISUP nuclear grades, were analyzed using three IHC markers (Ck7, CD10, and vimentin)

Our results seem to confirm existing data in the literature, namely the fact that although CK7 tends to be negative in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, its positivity is often observed in low-grade cases, and that CD10 and vimentin are inversely correlated with the expression of CK7.

Discussion and Conclusion : Renal epithelial tumors have required in recent years updates and a new classification system, which has become more challenging.

On the immunohistochemical level, no specific marker of clear cell renal cell carcinoma has been described. However, some markers are described as typical for cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. These include the carbonic anhydrase IX with a strong and diffuse complete membranous staining, CD10, and vimentin. CK7 is classically negative or only focally positive

According to the literature, no diffuse staining with anti-CK7 antibodies is observed in cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. However, different studies reported a wide range of CK7 positivity (0-38%) in these tumors.

CD10 is far from specific, it can help differentiate between clear cell renal cell carcinoma, which shows a sawtooth pattern, and other renal carcinoma subtypes, especially the papillary renal cell carcinoma, which shows a compressed luminal appearance

In many studies, CD10 seems to be inversely correlated with the expression of CK7

Vimentin is classically reported to be more intense in staining high-grade areas. It may be used in the differential diagnosis against cases of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, especially in the case of the eosinophilic variant of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. This latter shows positive staining with vimentin whereas the former is usually negative

Keywords: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma, ISUP nuclear grade, Cytokeratin 7, Vimentin, CD10

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

References:

1. Athanazio et al: Classification of renal cell tumors – current concepts and use of ancillary tests: recommendations of the Brazilian Society of Pathology Surgical and Experimental Pathology (2021).
2. Pramick M, et al, Useful immunohistochemical panel for differentiating clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma from its mimics, Ann Diagn Pathol (2013).
3. WHO. Classification of tumours of the urinary system and male genital organs. ed. 5. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer (2022).
4. W. Zhao, et al., DOG1, cyclin D1, CK7, CD117 and vimentin are useful immunohistochemical markers in distinguishing chromophobe renal cell carcinoma from clear cell renal cell carcinoma and renal oncocytoma, Pathol. – Res. Pract (2015).