PAX-8 Expression in Retinoblastoma and the Eyes of Human Embryos

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

10-2018

Publication Title

American Journal of Clinical Pathology

Abstract

Objectives: A previous in vitro study demonstrated that retinoblastoma protein is a transcriptional coactivator of paired box-8 (PAX-8). While PAX-8 immunohistochemical stains are commonly used to identify neoplasms arising from renal tissue or the female genital tract, the expression of PAX-8 in neural lesions is less clear. The objective of our study was to evaluate the expression of PAX-8 in retinoblastomas and embryonal eye tissue. Methods: Using a standard immunohistochemical staining method, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues were stained for PAX-8. To assess expression in neural lesions, we stained retinoblastoma, medulloblastoma, and neuroblastoma cases. In addition to the tumors mentioned, we also stained fetal eye tissue at 7 weeks and 13 weeks with PAX-8. Results: PAX-8 expression was positive in the nuclei of the retinoblastoma cases and negative in the nuclei of the medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma cases. The fetal tissue showed that nuclear PAX-8 expression is present as early as 7 weeks. By 13 weeks, the PAX-8 expression is seen only in the posterior portion of the embroynal eye. In the adult stained sections, PAX-8 stained the nuclei of the optic nerve but no other structures in the eye. Conclusion: The positive results in our study are consistent with the previous reports regarding retinoblastoma protein’s relationship with paired box-8 protein. Our study indicates that PAX-8 has the potential to be used as a differentiation marker for retinoblastoma. It also serves as the basis for future studies that will further reveal how PAX-8 is expressed in neural lesions.

Volume

150

Issue

Suppl 1

First Page

S48

Comments

American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Annual Meeting, October 3-5, 2018, Baltimore, MD

Last Page

S49

DOI

10.1093/ajcp/aqy090.119

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