Summary
The many different theories on the histogenesis of alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) have caused great confusion. Owing to the recent rapid advance in immunohistochemical studies, two major hypotheses have been proposed. One group of researchers supports the idea that ASPS shows myogenic differentiation, while the other group opposes the idea. This confrontation is essentially one between a group that believes in the immunohistochemically demonstrated presence of desmin in ASPS and a group that denies it. In the present study we detected desmin in 6 of 10 formalin-fixed paraffin sections (although there were differences due to the use of five commercially available types of anti-desmin antibodies). When acetone-fixed paraffin sections and periodate-lysin-paraformaldehyde (PLP)-fixed frozen sections were used in one and three cases, respectively, they were found to be desmin positive, regardless of the type of antibody. The consistent positivity for all anti-desmin antibodies in the cases treated with acetone or PLP is very suggestive of a myogenous origin of ASPS. It is important to take into consideration the fact that formalin-fixed paraffin sections are not very suitable for immunohistochemical study of desmin.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Altmannsberger M, Osborn M, Schauer A, Weber K (1981) Antibodies to different intermediate filament proteins: Cell type-specific markers on paraffin-embedded human tissues. Lab Invest 45:427–434
Auerbach HE, Brooks JJ (1987) Alveolar soft part sarcoma. A clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study. Cancer 60:66–73
Christopherson WM, Foote FW Jr, Stewart FW (1952) Alveolar soft part sarcoma. Structurally characteristic tumors of uncertain histogenesis. Cancer 5:100–111
Denk H, Krepler R, Artlieb U, Gabbiani G, Rungger-Brändle E, Leoncini P, Franke WW (1983) Proteins of intermediate filaments. An immunohistochemical and biochemical approach to the classification of soft tissue tumors. Am J Pathol 110:193–208
DeSchryver-Kecskemeti K, Kraus FT, Engleman W, Lacy PE (1982) Alveolar soft-part sarcoma - A malignant angioreninoma. Histochemical, immunohistochemical, and electronmicroscopic study of four cases. Am J Surg Pathol 6:5–18
Fisher ER (1956) Histochemical observations on an alveolar soft part sarcoma with reference to histogenesis. Am J Pathol 32:721–737
Fisher ER, Reidbord H (1971) Electron microscopic evidence suggesting the myogenous derivation of the so called alveolar soft part sarcoma. Cancer 27:150–159
Foschini MP, Ceccarelli C, Eusebi V (1988) Alveolar soft part sarcoma: immunological evidence of rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. Histopathology 13:101–108
Gabbiani G, Kapanci Y, Barazzone P, Franke WW (1981) Immunochemical identification of intermediate-size filaments in human neoplastic cells. A diagnostic aid for the surgical pathologists. Am J Pathol 104:206–216
Karnauchow PH, Magner D (1963) The histogenesis of alveolar soft part sarcoma. J Pathol 86:169–177
Marshall RB, Horn RC Jr (1961) Non-chromaffin paraganglia: Comparative study. Cancer 14:779–787
McLean IW, Nakane PK (1974) Periodate-lysin-paraformaldehyde fixative: a new fixative for immunoelectron microscopy. J Histochem Cytochem 22:1077–1983
Miettinen M (1988) Antibody specific to muscle actins in the diagnosis and classification of soft tissue tumors. Am J Pathol 130:205–215
Miettinen M, Lehto VP, Badley RA, Virtanen I (1982) Demonstration of the muscle type of intermediate filament protein, desmin, as a diagnostic aid. Am J Pathol 108:246–251
Mukai M, Torikata C, Iri H, Kageyama K, Nakajima T, Ueno N, Hirose S, Murakami K (1983) Alveolar soft part sarcoma. A review on its histogenesis and further studies based on electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and biochemistry. Am J Surg Pathol 7:679–689
Mukai M, Torikata C, Hirose S, Murakami K, Kageyama K (1984a) Biochemical and immunohistochemical localization of renin in human pituitary. Lab Invest 51:425–428
Mukai M, Torikata C, Iri H, Mikata A, Kawai T, Hanaoka H, Yakumaru K, Kageyama K (1984b) Histogenesis of clear cell sarcoma of tendons and aponeuroses - An electron microscopic, enzyme histochemical and immunohistochemical study. Am J Pathol 114:264–272
Mukai M, Torikata C, Iri H, Hanaoka H, Kawai T, Yakumaru K, Shimoda T, Mikata A, Kageyama K (1985) Cellular differentiation of epithelioid sarcoma. An electron-microscopic, enzyme-histochemical, and immunohistochemical study. Am J Pathol 119:44–56
Mukai M, Torikata C, Iri H, Mikata A, Hanaoka H, Kato K, Kageyama K (1986) Histogenesis of alveolar soft part sarcoma. An immunohistochemical and biochemical study. Am J Surg Pathol 10:212–218
Ogawa K, Nakashima Y, Yamabe H, Hamashima Y (1986) Alveolar soft part sarcoma, granular cell tumor, and paraganglioma. An immunohistochemical comparative study. Acta Pathol Jpn 36:895–904
Ordóñez NG, Hickey RC, Brooks TE (1988a) Alveolar soft part sarcoma. A cytologic and immunohistochemical study. Cancer 61:525–531
Osborn M, Altmannsberger M, Shaw G, Schauer A, Weber K (1982) Various sympathetic derived human tumors differ in neurofilament expression. Virchows Arch [B] 40:141–156
Persson S, Willems JS, Kindlbom LG, Angervall L (1988) Alveolar soft part sarcoma. An immunohistochemical, cytologic and electron-microscopic study and a quantitative DNA analysis. Virchows Arch [A] 412:499–513
Schürch W, Skalli O, Seemayer TA, Gabbiani G (1987) Intermediate filament proteins and actin isoforms as markers for soft tissue tumor differentiation and origin. I. Smooth muscle tumors. Am J Pathol 128:91–103
Smetana HF, Scott WF Jr (1951) Malignant tumors of non-chromaffin paraganglia. Milit Surg 109:330–349
Welsh RA, Bray DM III, Shipkey FH, Meyer AT (1972) Histogenesis of alveolar soft part sarcoma. Cancer 29:191–204
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mukai, M., Torikata, C., Shimoda, T. et al. Alveolar soft part sarcoma. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 414, 503–509 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00781707
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00781707