CD56 (Neural cell adhesion molecules, NCAM, Leu19)

NCAM is a membrane glycoprotein homophilic cell adhesion molecule , originally isolated on the basis of its role in neural cell adhesion. There have been reports that NCAM positive carcinomas are more aggressive than NCAM negative carcinomas6.

Antibodies are effective on paraffin-embedded tissue7. Monoclonal antibodies 123C3 and MOC-1 recognise non-carbohydrate epitopes. JLP5B9 recognises the polysialated epitopes of embryonic NCAM (eNCAM)10.

Immunohistochemical expression

Normal tissues:

Neoplasms:

 

epithelial cells

spindle cells

epithelial mesothelioma

6/122

5/12 in stromal fibroblasts

biphasic mesothelioma

4/112

11/112

sarcomatoid mesothelioma

-

2/32

mesothelioma overall

73% (19/26)2

squamous cell carcinoma

4/521,0/252

-

adenocarcinoma

1/381,0/252

-

foregut

13/173

midgut

7/123

hindgut

2/103

The following are negative for CD 56:

 

GIST

32/16812

 

Leiomyoma

18/2112

Leiomyosarcoma

26/3412

Schwannoma

4/512

MPNST

3/312

Granular cell tumour of the oesophagus

5/5

Melanoma

1/1312

Kaposi sarcoma of gastrointestinal tract

0/312

Angiosarcoma, primary of stomach

0/112

Pleomorphic / dedifferentiated liposarcoma

2/312

Myxoid liposarcoma

0/112

Malignant PEComa

3/312

Pleomorphic undifferentiated sarcoma/MFH

1/312

Low grade myofibroblastic sarcoma

2/212

Desmoid fibromatosis

0/512

Fibrous pseudotumour

0/412

   

 

Diagnostic utility

References

1 Kaufmann, O. Georgi, T. Dietel, M. Utility of 123C3 monoclonal antibody against CD56 (NCAM) for the diagnosis of small cell carcinomas on paraffin sections. Hum Pathol 1997;28:1373-8.

2 Lantuejoul S. Laverriere MH. Sturm N. Moro D. Frey G. Brambilla C. Brambilla E. NCAM (neural cell adhesion molecules) expression in malignant mesotheliomas. Human Pathology 2000;31(4):415-21.

3 Al-Khafaji et al. Immunohistologic analysis of gastrointestinal and pulmonary carcinoid tumours. Human Pathol 1998;29:992-999.

4 Soler, A. P., Gilliard, G., Xiong, Y., Knudsen, K. A., Martin, J. L., De Suarez, C. B., Mota Gamboa, J. D., Mosca, W., Zoppi, L. B. Overexpression of neural cell adhesion molecule in Chagas' myocarditis. Human Pathol 2001;32:149-155.

5 Nakatani, K., Seki, S., Kawada, N., Kobayashi, K., Kaneda, K. Expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) in perisinusoidal stellate cells of the human liver. Cell Tissue Res 1996;283:159-165.

6 Naka, T., Oda, Y., Iwamoto, Y. Immunohistochemical analysis of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta- catenin, gamma-catenin, and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in chordoma. J Clin Pathol 2001;54:945-950

7 Leong A S-Y, Cooper K and Leong FJ W-M. Manual of diagnostic antibodies for immunohistology. 2nd edition, 2003

8 Martin, P., A. Santon, et al. (2004). "Neural cell adhesion molecule expression in plasma cells in bone marrow biopsies and aspirates allows discrimination between multiple myeloma, monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance and polyclonal plasmacytosis." Histopathology 44(4): 375-80.

9 Ely, S. A. and D. M. Knowles (2002). "Expression of CD56/neural cell adhesion molecule correlates with the presence of lytic bone lesions in multiple myeloma and distinguishes myeloma from monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and lymphomas with plasmacytoid differentiation." Am J Pathol 160(4): 1293-9.

10 Ionescu DN, Treaba D, Gilks CB, et al. Nonsmall cell lung carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation--an entity of no clinical or prognostic significance. Am J Surg Pathol 2007; 31:26-32

11 Kingston GT,Manek S. CD56 immunoreactivity in ovarian sex cord-stromal tumours. Histopathology 2007; 51:723-5

12 Agaimy A,Wunsch PH Distribution of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM/CD56) in gastrointestinal stromal tumours and their intra-abdominal mesenchymal mimics. J Clin Pathol 2008; 61:499-503

13 Kontogianni K, Nicholson AG, Butcher D, et al. CD56: a useful tool for the diagnosis of small cell lung carcinomas on biopsies with extensive crush artefact. J Clin Pathol 2005; 58:978-80

This page last revised 20.12.2008.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop