Table of Contents
Definition / general | Interpretation | Uses by pathologists | Positive staining - normal | Positive staining - malignant | Negative stains | Microscopic (histologic) imagesCite this page: Pernick N. B72.3. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsb723.html. Accessed November 28th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Definition: monoclonal antibody that recognizes tumor-associated glyocoprotein 72 (TAG-72), a mucin-like sugar and protein complex on the surface of many cancer cells
- Antibody is directed against the Sialyl-Tn blood group antigen
Interpretation
- Cytoplasmic staining
Uses by pathologists
- Distinguish pulmonary adenocarcinoma (positive) from mesothelioma (negative) as part of a panel (Diagn Cytopathol 1997;17:115)
- Distinguish carcinoma in cytology specimens (positive) from benign effusions (usually negative, but may have focal staining, J Clin Pathol 1990;43:1026, Acta Cytol 1987;31:537, Diagn Cytopathol 2007;35:300)
- Confirm diagnosis of breast apocrine carcinoma (APMIS 2006;114:712)
Positive staining - normal
- Colonic mucosa (Hum Pathol 1989;20:994), endometrium-secretory, endometriosis (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1993;76:1075), gastric/duodenal goblet cells-coarsely granular, gastric/duodenal epithelium-finely granular (Diagn Cytopathol 2005;33:381)
Positive staining - malignant
- Angiosarcoma-epithelioid, breast apocrine carcinoma (92%), breast ductal carcinoma, colonic adenocarcinoma, endometrial carcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, ovarian serous tumors and implants, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasm, prostatic adenocarcinoma, salivary gland carcinoma including duct carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma (Laryngoscope 1994;104:304) and malignant mixed tumor; testicular ovarian surface epithelial-like tumor, testicular serous papillary carcinoma, vulvar Paget’s disease
Negative stains
Normal tissue:
- Mesothelial cells, most benign cells except colon, duodenum, endometrium, gastric
Disease:
- Adrenocortical adenoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, anaplastic meningioma, lung small cell carcinoma, mesothelial cell inclusions in lymph nodes, mesothelial cysts in the kidney, mesothelioma, ovarian adnexal tumor of probable wolffian origin, ovarian primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma, ovarian small cell carcinoma-hypercalcemic type