Fernández-Figueras M T, Puig L, Ariza A, Calatrava A, Fuente M J, Ferrándiz C
Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.
Am J Dermatopathol. 1996 Oct;18(5):483-9. doi: 10.1097/00000372-199610000-00007.
CD44 is a polymorphic group of membrane glycoproteins with multiple functions that include cell adhesion. Since on normal sweat glands CD44 is expressed only in eccrine coil secretory cells, it has been considered as a possible marker of this type of differentiation. We have immunohistochemically investigated the distribution of CD44 in paraffin-embedded samples of 41 benign and malignant sweat gland tumors by using a monoclonal antibody directed against the standard isoform of CD44. CD44 was strongly expressed in epithelial cells at the peripheral row of syringomas and in cuticular areas of eccrine poromas. Apocrine tumors such as apocrine hidrocystoma, syringocystadenoma papilliferum, or hidradenoma papilliferum showed intense CD44 positivity in the portion of cells in contact with the neighboring stroma and focally on the luminal side of cells with apocrine secretion. Cylindromas and spiradenomas presented focal CD44 positivity, virtually limited to clear cells. Malignant neoplasms exhibited irregular CD44 staining, which was more intense in the less differentiated zones and tumors. Our results indicate that CD44 is not a useful marker for a specific form of sweat gland differentiation. Nevertheless, its characteristic patterns of distribution might reflect the variety of functional roles assumed by the different CD44 isoforms in each epithelial cell.
CD44是一组具有多种功能（包括细胞黏附）的多态性膜糖蛋白。由于在正常汗腺中CD44仅在小汗腺螺旋分泌细胞中表达，因此它被认为是这种分化类型的一种可能标志物。我们使用针对CD44标准异构体的单克隆抗体，对41例良性和恶性汗腺肿瘤石蜡包埋样本中CD44的分布进行了免疫组织化学研究。CD44在汗管瘤外周排的上皮细胞以及小汗腺导管瘤的角质形成区域中强烈表达。顶泌汗腺肿瘤，如顶泌汗腺囊瘤、乳头状汗腺囊腺瘤或乳头状汗腺瘤，在与相邻间质接触的部分细胞以及顶泌汗腺分泌细胞的管腔侧局部显示出强烈的CD44阳性。圆柱瘤和螺旋腺瘤呈现局灶性CD44阳性，实际上仅限于透明细胞。恶性肿瘤表现出不规则的CD44染色，在分化较差的区域和肿瘤中染色更强。我们的结果表明，CD44不是汗腺特定分化形式的有用标志物。然而，其特征性的分布模式可能反映了不同CD44异构体在每个上皮细胞中所承担的多种功能作用。
