Application of immunohistochemistry in diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma

Objective To investigate the expression of vimentin,CK7,alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase(AMACR) and CD10 in renal cell carcinoma(RCC). Methods Immunohistochemistry of vimentin,CK7,AMACR and CD10 was performed on samples of 38 cases of clear cell RCC,35 cases of papillary RCC and 15 cases of chromophobe RCC. Results Expression of vimentin was significantly different between clear cell RCC(87%),papillary RCC(91%) and chromophobe RCC(0%)((P0.01).) CK7 expression was significantly different between clear cell RCC(11%) and papillary RCC(74%),chromophobe RCC(93%)(P0.01).CK7 was cytoplasm-positive in papillary RCC while characteristic membrane staining was observed in chromophobe RCC.Expression of AMACR was significantly different between papillary RCC(89%) and clear cell RCC(37%),chromophobe RCC(7%)(P0.01).CD10 expression was significantly different between clear cell RCC(79%),papillary RCC(80%) and chromophobe RCC(27%)(P0.01). Conclusion Immunohistochemical staining for vimentin,CK7,AMACR and CD10 appears to be a useful adjunct in the differential diagnosis of clear cell RCC,papillary RCC and chromophobe RCC.The characteristic phenotypes of clear cell RCC,papillary RCC and chromophbe RCC are vimentin+CK7-AMACR-/+CD10+/-,vimentin+CK7+/-AMACR+CD10+/-and vimentin-CK7+AMACR-CD10-/+,respectively.