MOC-31

MOC-31 is a monoclonal antibody which recognises a 38 kDa glycoprotein (epithelial glycoprotein 2, EGP-2) of unknown function in epithelial cells. It was raised using neuramidase-treated cells from a small cell carcinoma as the immunogen¹⁶. It is expressed by a wide range of carcinomas. The epitope is similar to that identified by EMA¹⁹.

Immunohistochemical expression

Distal tubules of normal kidney¹⁸

It is expressed by a wide range of carcinomas but not lymphomas, melanomas, mesotheliomas or neuroblastomas¹⁷

DSRCT

Diagnostic utility

The antigen is usually expressed by adenocarcinomas, but is usually negative in mesotheliomas.

adenocarcinoma

mesothelioma

Delahaye 1991¹ (cytological specimens)

19/31 (various sites of origin)

2/24

Ruitenbeeck 1994²

62/63 (various sites of origin)

1/5

Edwards 1995³

43/44 (Various sites of origin. On review, the one negative case was reclassified as a "tumor of uncertain nature".)

1/43 (On review, the one positive case was considered more consistent with a "pseudomesotheliomatous" adenocarcinoma.)

Leers 1998⁴

18/21

4/20

Kuenen-Boumeester 1996⁵ (cytological specimens)

56/56 (various sites of origin)

7/8

Delahaye 1997 (cytological specimens)¹¹

67/88 (various sites of origin)

5/41

Sosolik 1997⁷

23/23 (Pulmonary adenocarcinomas. Most cases showed strong diffuse membrane staining.)

1/23 (The staining in the one positive case was weak and membranous.)

Ordonez 1998⁶

85/95 (various sites of origin: 40/10 pulmonary adenocarcinomas were positive)

2/38

Leers 1998¹³

20/21 (various sites of origin. 18 cases showing staining of >10% of cells, 2 cases showed staining of <10% of cells.)

10/20 (4 cases showing staining of >10% of cells, 6 cases showed staining of <10% of cells.)

Chenard-Neu 1998¹²

30/30 (various sites of origin)

4/28 (All histological types)

Morgan (cytological specimens)¹⁴

54/57 (various sites of origin)

1/6

Oate 2000⁸

36/40 (Pulmonary adenocarcinomas)

2/42 (All histological types)

Gonzalez-Lois 2001⁹

21/23 (various sites of origin)

6/44 (6/34 epithelioid, 0/5 sarcomatoid, 0/1 mixed and 0/1 lymphohistiocytoid mesotheliomas)

Carella 2001¹⁰

18/20 (Pulmonary adenocarcinomas)

5/46 (All histological types)

Ordonez 2003¹⁵

50/50 (all primary lung adenocarcinomas: 21 case >75% of cells stained, 19 cases 50-75% of cells, 7 cases 25-50% of cells and 3 cases 1-25% of cells)

5/60 (all epithelioid mesotheliomas: 3 cases 3-10% of cells and 2 cases <1% of cells. Positivity occurred in the cytoplasm and along the cell membrane)

Overall

91% (602/662)

12% (56/448)

A systematic review of seven studies (consisting of 213 pulmonary adenocarcinomas and 276 epithelioid mesotheliomas) reported sensitivities and specificities of MOC-31 for pulmonary adenocarcinoma of 93% and 93%¹⁹.

References

¹ Delahaye, M., Hoogsteden, H. C., Van der Kwast, T. H. Immunocytochemistry of malignant mesothelioma: OV632 as a marker of malignant mesothelioma. J Pathol 1991;165:137-43.

² Ruitenbeek, T., Gouw, A. S., Poppema, S. Immunocytology of body cavity fluids. MOC-31, a monoclonal antibody discriminating between mesothelial and epithelial cells. Arch Pathol Lab Med 1194;118:265-9.

³ Edwards, C., Oates, J. OV 632 and MOC 31 in the diagnosis of mesothelioma and adenocarcinoma: an assessment of their use in formalin fixed and paraffin wax embedded material. J Clin Pathol 1995;48: 626-30.

⁴ Leers, M. P., Aarts, M. M., Theunissen, P. H. E-cadherin and calretinin: a useful combination of immunochemical markers for differentiation between mesothelioma and metastatic adenocarcinoma. Histopathology 1998;32:209-16.

⁵ Kuenen-Boumeester, V., van Loenen, P., de Bruijn, E. M., Henzen-Logmans, S. C. Quality control of immunocytochemical staining of effusions using a standardized method of cell processing. Acta Cytol 1996;40:475-9.

⁶ Ordonez, N. G. Value of the Ber-EP4 antibody in differentiating epithelial pleural mesothelioma from adenocarcinoma. The M.D. Anderson experience and a critical review of the literature. Am J Clin Pathol 1998;109:85-90.

⁷ Sosolik, R. C., McGaughy, V. R., De Young, B. R. Anti-MOC-31: a potential addition to the pulmonary adenocarcinoma versus mesothelioma immunohistochemistry panel. Mod Pathol 1997;10:716-9.

⁸ Oates, J., Edwards, C. HBME-1, MOC-31, WT1 and calretinin: an assessment of recently described markers for mesothelioma and adenocarcinoma. Histopathology 2000;36:341-7.

⁹ Gonzalez-Lois, C., Ballestin, C., Sotelo, M. T., Lopez-Rios, F., Garcia-Prats, M. D., Villena, V. Combined use of novel epithelial (MOC-31) and mesothelial (HBME-1) immunohistochemical markers for optimal first line diagnostic distinction between mesothelioma and metastatic carcinoma in pleura. Histopathology 2001;38:528-34.

¹⁰ Carella R et al. Immunohistochemical panels for differentiating epithelial malignant mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma. Am J Surg Pathol 2001;25:43-50.

¹¹ Delahaye, M., F. van der Ham, et al. (1997). "Complementary value of five carcinoma markers for the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma, adenocarcinoma metastasis, and reactive mesothelium in serous effusions." Diagn Cytopathol 17(2): 115-20.

¹² Chenard-Neu, M. P., A. Kabou, et al. (1998). "[Immunohistochemistry in the differential diagnosis of mesothelioma and adenocarcinoma. Evaluation of 5 new antibodies and 6 traditional antibodies]." Ann Pathol 18(6): 460-5.

¹³ Leers, M. P., M. M. Aarts, et al. (1998). "E-cadherin and calretinin: a useful combination of immunochemical markers for differentiation between mesothelioma and metastatic adenocarcinoma." Histopathology 32(3): 209-16.

¹⁴ Morgan, R. L., B. R. De Young, et al. (1999). "MOC-31 aids in the differentiation between adenocarcinoma and reactive mesothelial cells." Cancer 87(6): 390-4.

¹⁵ Ordonez, N. G. (2003). "The immunohistochemical diagnosis of mesothelioma: a comparative study of epithelioid mesothelioma and lung adenocarcinoma." Am J Surg Pathol 27(8): 1031-51.

¹⁶ De Leij, L., W. Helrich, et al. (1994). "SCLC-cluster-2 antibodies detect the pancarcinoma/epithelial glycoprotein EGP-2." Int J Cancer Suppl 8: 60-3.

¹⁷ Ordonez, N. G. (1998). "Desmoplastic small round cell tumor: II: an ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study with emphasis on new immunohistochemical markers." Am J Surg Pathol 22(11): 1314-27.

¹⁸ Pan, C. C., P. C. Chen, et al. (2004). "The diagnostic utility of MOC31, BerEP4, RCC marker and CD10 in the classification of renal cell carcinoma and renal oncocytoma: an immunohistochemical analysis of 328 cases." Histopathology 45(5): 452-9.

¹⁹King JE, Thatcher N, Pickering CA, et al. Sensitivity and specificity of immunohistochemical markers used in the diagnosis of epithelioid mesothelioma: a detailed systematic analysis using published data. Histopathology 2006; 48:223-32

This page last revised 16.2.2006.

	adenocarcinoma	mesothelioma
Delahaye 1991¹ (cytological specimens)	19/31 (various sites of origin)	2/24
Ruitenbeeck 1994²	62/63 (various sites of origin)	1/5
Edwards 1995³	43/44 (Various sites of origin. On review, the one negative case was reclassified as a "tumor of uncertain nature".)	1/43 (On review, the one positive case was considered more consistent with a "pseudomesotheliomatous" adenocarcinoma.)
Leers 1998⁴	18/21	4/20
Kuenen-Boumeester 1996⁵ (cytological specimens)	56/56 (various sites of origin)	7/8
Delahaye 1997 (cytological specimens)¹¹	67/88 (various sites of origin)	5/41
Sosolik 1997⁷	23/23 (Pulmonary adenocarcinomas. Most cases showed strong diffuse membrane staining.)	1/23 (The staining in the one positive case was weak and membranous.)
Ordonez 1998⁶	85/95 (various sites of origin: 40/10 pulmonary adenocarcinomas were positive)	2/38
Leers 1998¹³	20/21 (various sites of origin. 18 cases showing staining of >10% of cells, 2 cases showed staining of <10% of cells.)	10/20 (4 cases showing staining of >10% of cells, 6 cases showed staining of <10% of cells.)
Chenard-Neu 1998¹²	30/30 (various sites of origin)	4/28 (All histological types)
Morgan (cytological specimens)¹⁴	54/57 (various sites of origin)	1/6
Oate 2000⁸	36/40 (Pulmonary adenocarcinomas)	2/42 (All histological types)
Gonzalez-Lois 2001⁹	21/23 (various sites of origin)	6/44 (6/34 epithelioid, 0/5 sarcomatoid, 0/1 mixed and 0/1 lymphohistiocytoid mesotheliomas)
Carella 2001¹⁰	18/20 (Pulmonary adenocarcinomas)	5/46 (All histological types)
Ordonez 2003¹⁵	50/50 (all primary lung adenocarcinomas: 21 case >75% of cells stained, 19 cases 50-75% of cells, 7 cases 25-50% of cells and 3 cases 1-25% of cells)	5/60 (all epithelioid mesotheliomas: 3 cases 3-10% of cells and 2 cases <1% of cells. Positivity occurred in the cytoplasm and along the cell membrane)
Overall	91% (602/662)	12% (56/448)