Tenascin-C

Tenascin C is a member of the Tenascin family of four glycoproteins.  It is a large extracellular matrix glycoprotein expressed in fibroblasts and in the extracellular matrix during embryogenesis and growth. It has a unique six-armed multidomain macromolecular structure. Repetitive sequences resembling epidermal growth factor indicate that it may bind to epidermal growth factor receptor12.

Immunohistochemical expression

• Skin: sparsely at the dermo-epidermal junction, by the papillary dermis and around adnexa. Expression is increased in wound healing1.

• Hyperplastic breast lesions and breast carcinoma2,3,4

• Colonic carcinomas5

• Squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity6,7 and skin8

• Lung carcinomas8

• Schwannomas10

• Leiomyosarcomas10

• Fibromas10

• Liposarcomas10

• Cutaneous fibrohistiocytic tumours11

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Diagnostic utility

• There is increased expression at the dermo-epidermal junction overlying dermatofibromas but not dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans1.

• Expression is more common in malignant than benign phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas12. The staining is of the stroma around tumour cells:

• Tenascin facilitates the identification and measurement of the thickened basement membrane in collagenous colitis13.

References

1Kahn, H. J., Fekete, E., From, L. Tenascin differentiates dermatofibroma from dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: comparison with CD34 and factor XIIIa. Hum Pathol 2001;32:50-56.

2Ishihara, A., Yoshida, T., Tamaki, H., Sakakura, T. Tenascin expression in cancer cells and stroma of human breast cancer and its prognostic significance. Clin Cancer Res 1995;9:1035-1041.

3Tokes, A. M., Hortovanyi, E., Csordas, G., Kulka, J., Mozes, G., Hatalyak, A., Kadar, A. Immunohistochemical localisation of tenascin in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. Anticancer Res 1999;19:175-179

4Howeedy, A. A., Virtanen, I., Laitinen, L., Gould, N. S., Koukoulis, G. K., Gould, V. E. Differential distribution of tenascin in the normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic breast. Lab Invest 1990;63:798-806

5Iskaros, B. F., Tanaka, K. E., Hu, X., Kadish, A. S., Steinberg, J. J. Morphologic pattern of tenascin as a diagnostic biomarker in colon cancer. J Surg Oncol 1997;64:98-101.

6Mori, M., Muramatsu, Y., Yamada, K., Shrestha, P., Takai, Y. Intracellular localization of tenascin in squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity: an immunohistochemical study. Anticancer Res 1996;16:3075-3079.

7Ramos, D. M., Chen, B., Regezi, J., Zardi, L., Pytela, R. Tenascin-C matrix assembly in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Int J Cancer 1998;75:680-687.

8Koukoulis, G. K., Gould, V. E., Bhattacharyya, A., Gould, J. E., Howeedy, A. A., Virtanen, I. Tenascin in normal, reactive, hyperplastic, and neoplastic tissues: biologic and pathologic implications. Human Pathol 1991;22:636-643

9Erickson, H. P., Bourdon, M. A. Tenascin: an extracellular matrix protein prominent in specialized embryonic tissues and tumors. Ann Rev Cell Biol 1989;5:71

10Schnyder, B., Semadeni, R. O., Fischer, R. W., Vaughan, L., Car, B. D., Heitz, P. U., Winterhalter, K. H., Odermatt, B. Distribution pattern of tenascin-C in normal and neoplastic mesenchymal tissues. Int J Cancer 1997;72:217-224.

11Franchi, A., Santucci, M. Tenascin expression in cutaneous fibrohistiocytic tumors. Immunohistochemical investigation of 24 cases. Am J Dermatopathol 1996;18:454-459.

12Salmenkivi, K., Haglund, C., Arola, J., Heikkila, P. Increased expression of tenascin in pheochromocytomas correlates with malignancy. Am J Surg Pathol 2001;25:1419-23.

13Anagnostopoulos, I., Schuppan, D., Riecken, E. O., Gross, U. M., Stein, H. Tenascin labelling in colorectal biopsies: a useful marker in the diagnosis of collagenous colitis. Histopathology 1999;34:425-31.

This page last revised 30.4.2010.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop