NB84

NB84 is an antibody raised against an antigen from human neuroblastoma tissue. It recognises an uncharacterised 57 kD molecule. It works reliably on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue.

NB84 appears to be more sensitive but less specific than synaptophysin for neuroblastic differentiation2. Evaluation in decalcified bone trephines may be difficult due to diffuse intense background staining2.

Immunohistochemical expression

Non-neoplastic tissues showing positivity include some epithelia (tonsillar, colonic, pneumocytes, hepatocytes, renal, prostatic, basal cells of squamous epithelium), cardiac and skeletal muscle, brain, adrenal cortex and placental trophoblast2.

 

Differentiated neuroblastoma

83/832

17/191

 
 

Undifferentiated neuroblastoma

21/222

 
 

Ewing's sarcoma

9/141, 7/392

 
 

PNET

4/92, 1/11

 
 

Cerebellar medulloblastoma

3/182

 
 

DSRCT

3/62

 
 

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma

0/162

0/121

 
 

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma

0/262

 
 

Wilm's tumour

1/142, 0/171

 
 

Lymphoblastic lymphoma / ALL

0/122, 0/31

 
 

Small cell carcinoma of lung

0/102

   
         
         

NB84 was more sensitive but less specific than synaptophysin2.

Diagnostic utility

References

1Thomas, J. O., J. Nijjar, et al. (1991). "NB84: a new monoclonal antibody for the recognition of neuroblastoma in routinely processed material." J Pathol 163(1): 69-75.

2Miettinen, M., J. Chatten, et al. (1998). "Monoclonal antibody NB84 in the differential diagnosis of neuroblastoma and other small round cell tumors." Am J Surg Pathol 22(3): 327-32.

 

This page last revised 15.1.2004.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop