Nestin

Nestin is a class VI intermediate filament protein. The positivity of GISTs and gastrointestinal Schwannoma may indicate an ability of the tumours to differentiate along both interstitial cell of Cajal and peripheral nerve pathways.

Immunohistochemical expression

• neuroectodermal stem cells

• early skeletal muscle cells

• gliomas

• medulloepithelioma

• primitive neuroectodermal tumour

• meningioma

• paediatric rhabdomyosarcoma

• melanoma

• GIST

• gastrointestinal Schwannoma

• gastrointestinal granular cell tumour

It is not expressed by:

• gastrointestinal leiomyoma

Expression may correlate with tumour grade across a range of tumours:

Diagnostic utility

References

1 Parfitt JR, McLean CA, Joseph MG, et al. Granular cell tumours of the gastrointestinal tract: expression of nestin and clinicopathological evaluation of 11 patients. Histopathology 2006; 48:424-30

2 Yang XH, Wu QL, Yu XB, et al. Nestin expression in different tumours and its relevance to malignant grade. J Clin Pathol 2008; 61:467-73

This page last revised 7.4.2008.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop