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Anatomic Pathology / ANTIH-CALDESMON FOR DISTINGUISHING SMOOTH MUSCLE AND MYOFIBROBLASTIC TUMORS

Is Antih-Caldesmon Useful for Distinguishing Smooth


Muscle and Myofibroblastic Tumors?
An Immunohistochemical Study
Katherine M. Ceballos, MD,1 Gunnlaugur P. Nielsen, MD,2 Martin K. Selig, BA,2 and
John X. OConnell, MB, FRCPC1

Key Words: h-Caldesmon; Immunohistochemistry; Myofibroblast; Smooth muscle

Abstract The spectrum of soft tissue tumors demonstrating myofi-


Misinterpretation of positive staining of antibodies broblastic differentiation encompasses reactive proliferations
to desmin, smooth muscle actin, and muscle actin as and benign and malignant neoplasms.1 Although the precise
representing smooth muscle differentiation in the identification of a myofibroblast requires ultrastructural
context of a spindle cell tumor is not uncommon. examination, in practice, most pathologists recognize myofi-
Antih-caldesmon is a promising novel broblasts based on their light microscopic appearance and
immunohistochemical reagent for more specific smooth appropriate immunohistochemical staining profile.1,2 Since
muscle differentiation. We studied 72 tumors (11 the latter exhibits extensive overlap with the immunohisto-
leiomyosarcomas, 26 malignant fibrous histiocytomas chemical staining profile of smooth muscle cells, this may
[MFHs], 11 fibromatoses, 11 cellular cutaneous fibrous lead to imprecise classification of spindle cell tumors.3 In our
histiocytomas [CCFHs], 5 malignant peripheral nerve experience, the differentiation of myofibroblasts from smooth
sheath tumors, 4 synovial sarcomas, and 4 cases of muscle cells remains problematic in tumor pathology. The
nodular fasciitis), the reactive myofibroblastic response standard panel of antibodies directed against myoid anti-
in 5 cases of acute cholecystitis, and the desmoplastic gens (desmin, muscle actin, smooth muscle actin) that is used
response surrounding 5 invasive breast carcinomas. in the workup of spindle cell soft tissue tumors does not reli-
Tissues were examined for expression of h-caldesmon, ably allow this distinction.3 Recent data suggest that a new
desmin, smooth muscle actin, and muscle actin. Diffuse commercially available antibody directed against high-mo-
staining for h-caldesmon was present only within the lecular-weight caldesmon (h-caldesmon) labels cells with
leiomyosarcomas. Focal staining for h-caldesmon true smooth muscle cell morphologic features in a more
involving less than 1% of lesional cells was present in 3 specific manner than previously available antibodies.4,5 The
of 26 MFHs and 1 of 11 CCFHs. There was overlap in purpose of the present study was to document the staining
staining for the other myoid markers in all of the reaction of anti-h-caldesmon with a variety of myofibrob-
lesions that contained myofibroblasts. Antih- lastic and true smooth muscle tumors. In addition, all of the
caldesmon seems to be a reliable marker of smooth examined tumors also were studied using the aforementioned
muscle differentiation, and its inclusion in a panel of panel of the standard conventional myoid markers.
myoid immunohistochemical reagents should allow
distinction of smooth muscle and myofibroblastic
tumors.
Materials and Methods
Cases coded as musculoaponeurotic fibromatosis (11
cases), nodular fasciitis (4 cases), cellular cutaneous fibrous
histiocytoma (11 cases), malignant fibrous histiocytoma
(MFH; storiform-pleomorphic subtype, 26 cases), synovial

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sarcoma (4 cases), malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor differentiation. In practice, all of the tumors classified as
(5 cases), and leiomyosarcoma (11 cases) were obtained MFH were worked up using a full immunohistochemical
from the surgical pathology files of the Vancouver General panel (not including h-caldesmon) at the time of original
Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia. Cases of infiltrating diagnosis, and, in addition, ultrastructural examination was
breast carcinoma with surrounding desmoplastic stroma (5 performed in 16 of the tumors. This workup failed to show
cases) and acute cholecystitis with a reactive myofibroblastic any features of smooth muscle differentiation in any of these
response (5 cases) were similarly obtained. The diagnostic tumors. This group of tumors was extremely variable in its
criteria used for each of the tumors and tumor-like lesions architecture, and tissue blocks demonstrating at least a focal
are as follows: fascicular growth pattern were chosen for the immunohisto-
1. Fibromatosis: a soft tissue tumor deep to the fascia chemical staining in this study Image 4.
composed of intersecting fascicles of spindle cells embedded 5. Leiomyosarcoma: a cutaneous, subcutaneous, or
in a richly collagenized background. The fascicles demon- deeply located soft tissue neoplasm composed of intersecting
strate numerous thin-walled capillaries. Individual cells have fascicles of plump spindle cells with abundant eosinophilic
uniform elongate spindled nuclei with vesicular chromatin cytoplasm. The cells demonstrate considerable variation in
and readily visible small nucleoli. Mitotic figures are infre- nuclear size, shape, and morphologic features; however, the
quent Image 1. majority exhibit hyperchromatic nuclei. The neoplastic cells
2. Nodular fasciitis: a cellular soft tissue tumor contain abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm that shows focal
present within the subcutaneous tissue. The mass is focally irregular intracytoplasmic vacuoles. Distinct linear fibrillarity
well circumscribed and associated with an organized is present within the cytoplasm of many of the cells. Cell
collagenous (fascial) layer. There is architectural variability membranes typically are seen readily. Mitotic figures are
with cells arranged as sheets, fascicles, and storiform arrays present, including atypical forms. In general, the tumors
and, at least focally, a haphazard distribution within a capil- classified as leiomyosarcomas exhibited less architectural
lary-rich ground substance (tissue culturelike). Cytologi- variability than the MFHs. Ultrastructural examination,
cally, the lesional cells exhibit plump oval to spindled nuclei, which could be performed in 4 of 11 cases, confirmed
vesicular chromatin, and, frequently, large nucleoli. The cells features of smooth muscle cells Image 5.
have readily visible eosinophilic cytoplasm. Mitotic figures 6. Synovial sarcoma: a monophasic or biphasic
are seen readily Image 2. spindle and/or epithelioid cell sarcoma. The lesional spindle
3. Cellular cutaneous fibrous histiocytoma: a dermal- cells demonstrate relatively uniform nuclei and a scant
based cellular spindle cell tumor measuring less than 2.0 cm tapering cytoplasmic process. The lesional cells are arranged
with or without focal extension into the subcutaneous fat. as sheets and fascicles and commonly are associated with
The tumor cells are arranged as sheets, storiform arrays, and dense eosinophilic collagen. Marked nuclear pleomorphism
intersecting fascicles. At the center of the tumor, the dermal is not a feature of these tumors. Biphasic neoplasms have, in
collagen pattern is obliterated. The lateral edges of the mass addition to the characteristics of synovial sarcomas, true
are poorly defined and contain hyalinized collagen bundles. glands and tubules, often with eosinophilic luminal contents.
The lesional cells are plump spindle cells with eosinophilic 7. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor: a vari-
cytoplasm and elongate nuclei with stippled chromatin and ably cellular spindle cell sarcoma composed of sheets and
focally visible nucleoli. Occasional mitotic figures are fascicles of spindle cells with hyperchromatic wavy nuclei.
present Image 3. Mitoses are found readily, and these tumors typically demon-
4. MFH, storiform pleomorphic variant: a cellular strate varying cellularity and nuclear pleomorphism. In prac-
spindle and epithelioid cell neoplasm occurring within tice, at the time of diagnosis these tumors demonstrated
subcutaneous or deep soft tissue. These tumors are character- origin from a peripheral nerve, occurred in patients with
ized by marked architectural variability. Lesional cells may neurofibromatosis, or both.
be arranged as sheets, fascicles, and storiform arrays. Indi- Reactive myofibroblastic proliferations representing the
vidual cells demonstrate considerable variation in size, supporting stroma in conventional infiltrating ductal carci-
shape, and nuclear morphologic features. Markedly irregular noma of the breast and the subserosal spindle cell prolifera-
hyperchromatic nuclei are found readily. Cytoplasm varies tion on the surface of acutely inflamed gallbladders also
from scant to abundant and is predominantly eosinophilic. were examined.
Distinct linear striations are not present. Mitotic figures,
including atypical forms, are readily present. Of importance, Immunohistochemical Methods
in this group of neoplasms, no definite lineage differentiation Immunohistochemical stains were performed with an
is present. Specifically, there is no light microscopic avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex and a Ventana ES auto-
evidence of adipose, endothelial, peripheral nerve, or myoid mated immunostainer (Ventana Medical Systems, Tucson,

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Ceballos et al / ANTIH-CALDESMON FOR DISTINGUISHING SMOOTH MUSCLE AND MYOFIBROBLASTIC TUMORS

Image 1 Fascicles of cellular collagen-rich fibromatosis Image 2 Cellular focus of nodular fasciitis demonstrating
(H&E, 200). poorly formed storiform arrays (H&E, 200).

Image 3 The deep aspect of a cellular cutaneous fibrous Image 4 High-grade malignant fibrous histiocytoma
histiocytoma demonstrating the intense cellularity, mild demonstrating storiform growth and focal tumor giant cells
atypia and focal fascicular growth (H&E, 200). (H&E, 200).

AZ) using the antibodies listed in Table 1 and a 32-minute Results


incubation period. Sections stained with antih-caldesmon or
anti-desmin underwent heat-induced epitope retrieval before Positive staining was scored on a 0 to 3+ scale based on
staining. The deparaffinized slides were sealed in a container the percentage of tumor cells stained in each lesion (0, no
containing citrate buffer and placed in a pressure cooker. staining; 1+, <25% of cells; 2+, 25%-75% of cells; and 3+,
These slides were then microwaved on high and allowed to >75% of cells). The staining results are summarized in
boil for 4 minutes and to sit for 20 minutes. The slides were Table 2. Briefly, 10 of 11 leiomyosarcomas were labeled
cooled under running distilled water. Sections of leiomyoma diffusely with antibodies to h-caldesmon. In these cases,
were used as positive controls, and sections of synovial more than 99% of the tumor cells typically were labeled
sarcoma were used as negative controls. Image 6. In 1 case, the staining was focal, involving less

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Anatomic Pathology / ORIGINAL ARTICLE

of the other myoid markers in 11 of 26 MFHs, 11 of 11 fibro-


matoses, 4 of 4 cases of nodular fasciitis, and 7 of 11 cellular
cutaneous fibrous histiocytomas. Although, in general, this
staining was focal (compared with the diffuse staining seen in
leiomyosarcoma), in many cases the staining for antismooth
muscle actin and muscle actin affected the majority of the cells
in a single region Image 9 and Image 10.
Staining for desmin occasionally exhibited this appear-
ance, particularly in cases of fasciitis and fibromatosis,
whereas in cellular cutaneous fibrous histiocytoma, it was
typically present in more dispersed cells Image 11. The
desmoplastic stroma in 5 of 5 infiltrating breast carcinomas
and myofibroblastic reaction in 5 of 5 cases of acute chole-
cystitis also exhibited focal or diffuse staining with 1 or more
myoid markers.

Image 5 Fascicular growth of a typical leiomyosarcoma


(H&E, 200). Discussion

Table 1 Myofibroblasts demonstrate morphologic features


Antibodies* intermediate between fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells.2
In addition to the overlap that exists at the level of light
Immunohistochemical
Stain Clone Dilution Pretreatment microscopy, myofibroblasts and smooth muscle cells also
demonstrate overlapping immunohistochemical staining
h-Caldesmon h-CD 1:400 Microwave
Desmin D33 1:200 Microwave
profiles using antibodies to actin, smooth muscle actin, and
Muscle actin HHF35 1:100 None desmin.1,3 The 2 cell types can be distinguished ultrastruc-
Alpha smooth turally2; however, in practical terms, the limited availability
muscle actin 1A4 1:200 None
of diagnostic electron microscopy facilities hinders the
* All from DAKO, Carpinteria, CA. usefulness of this technique in surgical pathology. Under
normal circumstances, myofibroblasts occur in granula-
than 25% of the tumor cells. This tumor (case 7) was a grade tion tissue and healing scars.2 Cells exhibiting myofibro-
3/3 sarcoma that had been irradiated before resection, and blastic morphology have been recognized as the principal
the tumor cells demonstrated marked nuclear degenerative cellular com-ponent of numerous soft tissue tumors,
changes suggestive of irradiation effect. In addition, the other including nodular fasciitis, mammary myofibroblastoma,
muscle markers (desmin, smooth muscle actin, and muscle dermatomyofibroma, intranodal myofibroblastoma, fibro-
actin) also stained the tumor cells in a more focal manner matoses, low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma, and many
than in the remainder of the cases, suggesting that antigen others.1,6 In addition, tumors classified as so-called MFH
preservation in this sample may have been suboptimal. frequently demonstrate ultrastructural features of various
In 2 of the leiomyosarcomas, there was an abrupt transi- subtypes of fibroblasts, including myofibroblasts.7
tion between conventional leiomyosarcoma and undifferenti- In our experience, precise classification of spindle cell
ated MFH-like sarcoma. We classified these tumors as soft tissue tumors is frequently troublesome, and positive
dedifferentiated leiomyosarcomas and noted that the posi- immunohistochemical staining for muscle actin, smooth
tive staining for h-caldesmon was restricted to the regions of muscle actin, and/or desmin is interpreted mistakenly, not
morphologically typical leiomyosarcoma only Image 7. uncommonly, as representing evidence of smooth muscle
Antih-caldesmon failed to stain any cells in the cases of differentiation. Antih-caldesmon, by being a more specific
nodular fasciitis, fibromatosis, synovial sarcoma, or malignant identifier of smooth muscle differentiation, potentially would
peripheral nerve sheath tumor or in the desmoplastic stroma or be helpful in this regard by allowing appropriate classifica-
reactive myofibroblasts in the cases of infiltrating breast carci- tion of spindle cell tumors exhibiting myofibroblastic or
noma and acute cholecystitis, respectively. There was focal smooth muscle differentiation.
staining of less than 1% of the lesional cells in 3 of the MFHs Caldesmon is a cytoskeleton-associated protein present
Image 8 and 1 of the cellular cutaneous fibrous histiocy- in smooth and nonsmooth muscle cells.8-11 It functions by
tomas. As outlined in Table 2, there was staining for 1 or more binding calmodulin and Ca2+ and is involved in the regulation

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Ceballos et al / ANTIH-CALDESMON FOR DISTINGUISHING SMOOTH MUSCLE AND MYOFIBROBLASTIC TUMORS

Table 2
Summary of Staining Results

AntiSmooth
Diagnosis Case No. Antih-Caldesmon Desmin Anti-Muscle Actin Muscle Actin

Leiomyosarcoma 1 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+
2 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+
3 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+
4 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+
5 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+
6 3+ 2+ 3+ 3+
7 1+ 2+ 1+ 2+
8 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+
9 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+
10* 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+
11* 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+
MFH 1 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 VF
3 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0
5 VF 0 0 2+
6 0 0 0 0
7 VF 0 0 0
8 0 0 0 0
9 0 0 0 1+
10 0 1+ 0 0
11 0 0 0 0
12 0 0 0 0
13 0 0 0 0
14 0 0 0 1+
15 0 0 0 0
16 0 0 0 0
17 0 0 0 0
18 0 0 0 0
19 0 0 1+ 2+
20 0 0 0 0
21 0 1+ 1+ 1+
22 VF 1+ 0 1+
23 0 0 0 0
24 0 VF 1+ 1+
25 0 0 0 1+
26 0 1+ 0 1+
Synovial sarcoma 1 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0
MPNST 1 0 0 VF 1+
2 0 0 VF 1+
3 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0
5 0 0 0 0
Fibromatosis 1 0 1+ 0 1+
2 0 1+ 1+ 1+
3 0 1+ 1+ 2+
4 0 1+ 1+ 2+
5 0 1+ 1+ 1+
6 0 1+ 1+ 1+
7 0 0 0 1+
8 0 1+ 1+ 1+
9 0 0 1+ 1+
10 0 1+ 0 1+
11 0 0 1+ 2+
Nodular fasciitis 1 0 0 2+ 3+
2 0 0 0 3+
3 0 0 0 2+
4 0 0 1+ 3+
CCFH 1 0 0 0 1+
2 0 1+ 1+ 1+
3 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0
5 0 1+ 0 1+
6 0 0 0 0
7 VF 0 0 1+
8 0 0 0 0
9 0 0 0 1+
10 0 1+ 0 0
11 0 0 0 1+
Desmoplastic stroma 1 0 0 1+ 3+
2 0 0 2+ 3+
3 0 0 0 2+
4 0 0 1+ 2+
5 0 0 1+ 3+
Myofibroblastic reaction 1 0 0 2+ 3+
2 0 0 1+ 1+
3 0 0 1+ 2+
4 0 0 1+ 2+
5 0 0 0 1+

CCFH, cellular cutaneous fibrous histiocytoma; MFH, malignant fibrous histiocytoma; MPNST, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor; VF, very focal staining involving <1%
of the tumor cells; 0, no staining; 1+, <25% of cells; 2+, 25%-75% of cells; 3+, >75% of cells.
* Dedifferentiated leiomyosarcoma; positive staining in conventional areas only.
Desmoplastic stroma surrounding invasive breast carcinoma.
Myofibroblastic reaction occurring on the surface of the gallbladder in acute cholecystitis.

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Anatomic Pathology / ORIGINAL ARTICLE

of cellular contraction.8-11 High- and low-molecular-weight myofibroblastic tumors, desmoid tumors, and a variety of
forms of the protein occur.8,9 The high-molecular-weight myoepithelial-type neoplasms were consistently negative.4
form is thought to be restricted to smooth muscle and These investigators noted extensive staining in all tumors
myoepithelial cells.5 There have been few studies of the tested for antibodies directed against actin (HHF35) and
expression of h-caldesmon in soft tissue tumors. Watanabe et smooth muscle actin,4 as we did. Two of 8 gastrointestinal
al4 demonstrated that h-caldesmon expression was limited to stromal tumors tested also exhibited positive staining for h-
soft tissue neoplasms demonstrating smooth muscle differen- caldesmon. Watanabe et al4 concluded . . . that h-caldesmon
tiation. Leiomyomas, angioleiomyomas, leiomyosarcomas, can be used as a specific marker of smooth muscle cells and
and glomus tumors were consistently diffusely and strongly tumors originating from smooth muscle cells.
positive for antih-caldesmon, whereas MFHs, inflammatory Miettinen et al5 reported very similar results, demon-
strating h-caldesmon staining in 96% of 90 examined
visceral and soft tissue tumors demonstrating smooth muscle
differentiation. Four of 31 retroperitoneal leiomyosarcomas
were the only smooth muscle tumors that failed to stain posi-
tively.5 On the other hand, 6 cases of nodular fasciitis and 10
desmoid tumors failed to demonstrate positive staining.5
Miettinen et al5 recorded focal staining involving less than
10% of tumor cells in 11 of 15 tumors classified as MFH and
in the dedifferentiated regions of dedifferentiated liposar-
coma in 6 of 10 tumors. In contrast, these investigators noted
that positive staining for h-caldesmon was restricted to the
well-differentiated component of several examined uterine
leiomyosarcomas.5 Overall, these results are rather similar to
our own. As both of these groups of investigators have
described, antih-caldesmon typically stains the vast
majority of cells in smooth muscle tumors.4,5
We also noted focal positive staining in fewer than 1%
of tumor cells in 3 of 26 MFHs and in 1 of 11 cellular cuta-
Image 6 Diffuse cytoplasmic staining for h-caldesmon in neous fibrous histiocytomas in our study group. Although we
virtually every cell of this leiomyosarcoma (200). found diffuse positive staining in 10 of 11 tumors classified

A B

Image 7 A, Section of one of the tumors we classified as a dedifferentiated leiomyosarcoma. The well-differentiated
leiomyosarcoma is present in the lower half of the image. The upper half consists of an undifferentiated malignant fibrous
histiocytomalike pleomorphic sarcoma (H&E, 100). B, h-Caldesmon staining of the region of the tumor shown in Image 7A.
Note the staining is confined to the well-differentiated component of the tumor (100).

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Ceballos et al / ANTIH-CALDESMON FOR DISTINGUISHING SMOOTH MUSCLE AND MYOFIBROBLASTIC TUMORS

Image 8 Rare h-caldesmonstained cells in one of the Image 9 Nodular fasciitis demonstrating diffuse intense
tumors classified as malignant fibrous histiocytoma. This staining (smooth muscle actin, 200).
was the field with the greatest number of positively stained
cells. Most cells in this tumor were not stained by antih-
caldesmon (200).

Image 10 Fibromatosis with strong staining (smooth Image 11 Cellular cutaneous fibrous histiocytoma showing
muscle actin, 200). intense positive staining in a proportion of the tumor cells
(desmin, 200).

as conventional leiomyosarcoma, in 2 of the tumors in our in practical terms, MFH is a diagnosis of exclusion.12,13 To
series, there was an abrupt transition between conventional this end, the more histogenetically apt designations of
leiomyosarcoma and undifferentiated MFH-like sarcoma undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma or sarcoma not
(tumors that we classified as dedifferentiated leiomyosar- otherwise specified may be more appropriate for these
comas). In these tumors, positive staining was restricted to tumors. The percentage of high-grade sarcomas classified as
the morphologically typical leiomyosarcoma. MFH seems to be inversely proportional to the effort with
It has become increasingly clear that MFH, despite its which alternative lines of differentiation are sought. Our
name, typically lacks definite histiocytic differentiation and, experience with high-grade soft tissue sarcomas of adult-

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Anatomic Pathology / ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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