Brachyury

Brachyury is a T-box transcription factor esential to the differetiation of the psterior mesoderm, including the haemangioblast. Its expression become restriced to the notochord. Expression by chordomas supports the contention that they arise from notochordal remnants2,3. Such expression has been found in both axial chordroma and extra-axial skeletal chordoma. At least some soft tissue parachordomas also express brachury, supporting the view that they are closely related to skeletal chordoma.

Immunohistochemical expression

Expression is nuclear.

 

Fetal notochord

positive3

 
 

Normal nucleus pulposus

0/73

 
 

Normal articular cartilage

negative3

 
 

Normal fibrocartilage

negative3

 
 

Normal brain

negative3

 
 

Normal breast

negative3

 
 

Normal endometrium

0/31, negative3

 

Normal myometrium

negative3

Normal Fallopian tube

negative3

Normal ovary

negative3

Normal gallbladder

negative3

Normal stomach

0/111

Normal lung

0/211, negative3

Normal kidney

negative3

Normal urinary bladder

0/61, negative3

Normal pancreas

0/51

Normal small bowel

0/41

Normal thyroid

negative3

Normal lymph node

negative3

Normal tonsil

negative3

Normal salivary gland

0/51, negative3

Normal liver

0/51, negative3

Normal kidney

0/51, negative3

Normal ectocervical squamous epitheium

negative3

Normal endocervical glandular epithelium

negative3

Normal placenta

0/51

Non-neoplastic testis

2/131, negative3

 

Classical Axial chordroma (no chondroid differnetiation)

26/263

Axial chordroma with focal areas of chondroid differentaiton

13/133

Chondroid chordroma

6/63

Dedifferentiated chordroma

1/43

Metastatic chordroma

5/53

Extra-axial skeletal chordoma

8/81

Soft tissue parachordoma

2/41

Haemangioblastoma of the centreal nervous system

14/141

Germ cell tumors of testis

2/141

Mucinous carcinoma metastatic to bone

0/101

Chondroblastoma

0/143

Chondromyxoid fibroma

0/183

Chondrosarcoma, appendicular

0/553

Chondrosarcoma, base of skull

0/93

Chondrosarcoma, clear cell

0/113

Chondrosarcoma, dedifferentiated

0/53

Chondrosarcoma, extraskeletal myxoid

0/53

Chondrosarcoma, mesenchymal (bone)

0/93

Chondrosarcoma, myxoid

0/83

Enchondroma

0/123

Periosteal chondroma

0/53

Synovial chondromatosis

0/123

Pituitary adenoma

0/63

Astrocytoma, gemistocytic

0/23

Ependymoma

0/43

Ependymoma, myxopapillary

0/43

Glioblastoma multiforme

0/53

Oligodendroglioma

0/23

Carcinoma, neuroendocrine

0/43

Carcinoma, squamous cell

0/23

Lung adenocarcinoma

0/141

Breast carcinoma

0/51

Gastric adenocarcinoma

0/141

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma

0/51

Renal carcinoma

0/63

Urothelial carcinoma

0/131

Ovarian adenocarcinoma

0/131

Endometrial adenocarcinoma

0/111

Mixed tumor/myoepithelioma

0/91

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor

0/101

Lipoma, chondroid

0/23

Myxoid liposarcoma

0/111, 0/63

Leiomyosarcoma

0/63

Osteofibrous dysplasia

0/103

Osteosarcoma

0/161

Osteosarcoma, osteoblastic

0/33

Osteosarcoma, chondroblastic

0/103

PNET/Ewing sarcoma

0/101, 0/63

Synovial sarcoma

0/1131

Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma

0/101

Desmoid fibromatosis

0/761

Miscellaneous benign fibrous lesions

0/341

Giant cell tumour

0/23

Paraganglioma

0/13

Mesenchymal phosphaturic neoplasm

0/23

Myoepithelial tumour/outside salivary glands, malignant

0/43

Myoepithelial tumour/outside salivary glands, benign

0/73

Mixed tumour/pleomorphic adenoma of salivary glands

0/253

Myxofibrosarcoma

0/53

Myxoma, intramuscular

0/53

Myxoma, Mazabraud syndrome

0/53

Sarcoma, epithelioid

0/33

Sarcoma, low-grade fibromyxoid

0/103

Sarcoma, spindle cell

0/33

Melanoma

0/91, 0/23

Sarcoma, clear cell

0/83

Lymphoma

0/181

Myeloma

0/71

   

Diagnostic utility

References

1 Tirabosco Brachyury Expression in Extra-axial Skeletal and Soft Tissue Chordomas: A Marker that Distinguishes Chordoma From Mixed Tumor/Myoepithelioma/Parachordoma in Soft Tissue AJSP 2008;32:572

2 Romeo S,Hogendoorn PC. Brachyury and chordoma: the chondroid-chordoid dilemma resolved? J Pathol 2006; 209:143-6

3 Vujovic S, Henderson S, Presneau N, et al. Brachyury, a crucial regulator of notochordal development, is a novel biomarker for chordomas. J Pathol 2006; 209:157-65

 

This page last revised 16.4.2008.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop