Anti-Hu immunolabeling as an index of neuronal differentiation in human brain tumors: A study of 112 central neuroepithelial neoplasms Journal Article


Authors: Gultekin, S. H.; Dalmau, J.; Graus, Y.; Posner, J. B.; Rosenblum, M. K.
Article Title: Anti-Hu immunolabeling as an index of neuronal differentiation in human brain tumors: A study of 112 central neuroepithelial neoplasms
Abstract: Anti-Hu is a polyclonal immunoglobulin G associated with a syndrome of paraneoplastic sensory neuropathy/encephalomyelitis that principally afflicts patients with small cell lung carcinoma. Anti-Hu antibodies, which identify a family of RNA-binding proteins that are normally neuron restricted and that appear to be integral to neuronal differentiation and maintenance, selectively label the nuclei (and, less strongly, the cytoplasm) of neurons throughout the human neuraxis. Small cell carcinomas of the lung and many neuroblastomas are also labeled. We screened 112 tumors of central neuroepithelial lineage for immunohistochemical evidence of Hu expression with anti-Hu immunoglobulin G that was purified from patient sera and with a recombinant Fab fragment (Fab GLN 495) selected from a patient-derived combinatorial antibody phage display library using a recombinant Hu protein (HuD). Both antibodies uniformly labeled, in addition to native neurons, the nuclei of central neurocytomas (6 of 6) and the neuronal components of 'classic' (12 of 12) and desmoplastic infantile (2 of 2) gangliogliomas. Of 33 embryonal tumors, 29 were anti-Hu reactive, including 87% of medulloblastomas (26 of 30). Glial neoplasms (n = 59) were anti-Hu negative save for one 'oligodendroglioma' (of 17 oligodendroglial/oligoastrocytic tumors) that may have been an extraventricular neurocytoma. Anti-Hu immunoglobulin G/Fab GLN 495 identifies neoplasms of differentiated neuronal type and embryonal tumors with neuronogenic potential.
Keywords: immunohistochemistry; human tissue; dna binding protein; major clinical study; brain tumor; glioma; brain neoplasms; tumor markers, biological; nerve tissue proteins; cell differentiation; neurons; central nervous system tumor; rna-binding proteins; glioblastoma; medulloblastoma; recombinant protein; ependymoma; neuroepithelioma; paraneoplastic syndrome; nerve cell differentiation; astrocytoma; antibodies, neoplasm; hu paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis antigens; immunoglobulin g antibody; brain tumors; synaptophysin; immunoglobulin f(ab) fragment; paraneoplastic disease; polyclonal antibody; neoplasms, neuroepithelial; humans; human; article; recombinant antibodies; anti-hu antineuronal autoantibodies; neuronal neoplasms
Journal Title: American Journal of Surgical Pathology
Volume: 22
Issue: 2
ISSN: 0147-5185
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins  
Date Published: 1998-02-01
Start Page: 195
End Page: 200
Language: English
DOI: 10.1097/00000478-199802000-00007
PUBMED: 9500220
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 12 December 2016 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Marc Rosenblum
    424 Rosenblum
  2. Jerome B Posner
    211 Posner
  3. Josep O Dalmau
    101 Dalmau