Desmocollin-3

Desmocollin-3 is a constituent of desmosomes. In combination with desmogleins (members of the cadherin family), desmocollins interact through their extracellular domains to hold plasma membranes together.

Immunohistochemical expression

Positivity for desmocollin-3 may identify a proportion of large cell carcinomas of the lung as possibly showing squamous differentiation.

 

Lung tumours

Desmocollin-3

TTF-1

 
 

Squamous cell carcinoma

20/201, 4/41, 13/152

2/201 , 0/41

 

Adenocarcinoma

1/201, 0/201, 0/292

18/201, 7/201

 

Adenosquamous carcinoma

3/31, 0/12

3/31

 

Large cell carcinoma

27/491, 1/71  

 
2/122

24/491, 1/71

 
3/122
 

 

Sarcomatoid carcinoma

0/31

0/31

 

         

 

Diagnostic utility

References

1 Monica V, Ceppi P, Righi L, et al. Desmocollin-3: a new marker of squamous differentiation in undifferentiated large-cell carcinoma of the lung. Mod Pathol 2009; 22:709-17

2 Righi L, Graziano P, Fornari A, Rossi G, Barbareschi M, Cavazza A, et al. Immunohistochemical subtyping of nonsmall cell lung cancer not otherwise specified in fine-needle aspiration cytology: A retrospective study of 103 cases with surgical correlation. Cancer. 2011 Jan 18.

This page last revised 20.7.2011.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop