Trends in Clinical and Medical Sciences

Immunohistochemical expression of AE1, AE3 on cell blocks of metastatic lymphnodes

Shamili Moningi\(^1\), Sireesha Gunta\(^1\), Kalyani Sharmila\(^1\), I. Vijaya Bharathi\(^1\) and T. Kishorekumar\(^{1,*}\)
\(^{1}\) Department of Orthopaedics, ASRAM, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Correspondence should be addressed to T. Kishorekumar at moningishamili@gmail.com

Abstract

Overview: Cancer poses a significant global threat\({}^{1}\). Lymph nodal metastasis is a crucial prognostic factor, and its detection presents a challenge for pathologists.
Aims: The aims of this study are as follows: to determine the common sites affected by metastatic lymphadenopathy, to evaluate the effectiveness of the cell block technique in preserving cell morphology compared to conventional fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples, to assess the preservation of immunohistochemical properties using the cell block technique, and to determine the role of immunohistochemistry in cell block preparations of malignant breast neoplasms for making a final diagnosis.\\
Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry using AE1 and AE3 markers was performed on sections made from cell blocks obtained through the fine needle aspiration technique. Cell block preparation involved a mixture of 9 parts ethyl alcohol and 1 part 10% formalin, followed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Two pathologists independently analyzed H&E-stained smears and immunocytochemistry results, and the findings were calculated.
Results: In the present study, pan CK positivity was observed in 31 out of 48 cases, of which 25 were squamous cell carcinomas, 2 were suspicious for malignancy, and 2 were other cases.
Conclusion: The use of Pan CK (AE1/AE3) markers demonstrated a significant percentage of positivity in identifying squamous differentiation. This panel of markers, along with others, can be employed for epithelial differentiation and can assist in neoadjuvant therapy and patient care.

Keywords:

Cancer; Lymph Nodal Metastasis; Cell Block Technique; Immunohistochemistry; Squamous Differentiation.