heparitin-sulfate and Carcinosarcoma

Eight sarcomatoid carcinomas from various anatomical locations were investigated by immunohistochemical staining to laminin, type IV collagen and heparan sulfate proteoglycan, to study the characteristics of basement membranes at the interface between carcinomatous and sarcomatous tissues.. Paraffin wax embedded tissue sections from representative tumor samples have been stained with specific antibodies, using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique.. In all cases several interruptions or discontinuities of the basement membrane staining pattern were seen. In 4 cases, larger defects or complete loss of staining was also noted. At these places, the boundaries between carcinomatous and sarcomatous tissue were often blurred.. Disruption and loss of basement membranes at interface between carcinomatous and sarcomatous tissues is a frequent finding in sarcomatoid carcinomas. These changes could be consistent with an epithelial origin of the sarcomatous component in these tumors by means of an epithelial-mesenchymal conversion mechanism.

Topics: Aged; Basement Membrane; Carcinosarcoma; Collagen; Female; Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; Heparitin Sulfate; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Laminin; Male; Middle Aged; Proteoglycans