Peroperative frozen section analysis of TTF-1 antigen expression
- S Camilleri-Broet,
- M Alifano,
- M Morcos,
- E Comperat,
- P Magdeleinat,
- B Marmey,
- T J Molina,
- J-F Régnard,
- J Audouin
- Service d’Anatomie Pathologique et Unité de Chirurgie Thoracique, Hotel-Dieu, 1, Place Du Parvis Notre Dame, Cedex 75181, Paris, France
- Correspondence to: Dr S P Camilleri-Broet Service d’Anatomie Pathologique, Hotel-Dieu, 1, Place Du Parvis Notre Dame, Cedex 75181, Paris, France; sophie.camilleri-broethtd.ap-hop-paris.fr
- Accepted 2 June 2003
Abstract
Background: The assessment of thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) expression is a useful way to investigate the origin of lung adenocarcinomas or large cell carcinomas when dealing with a solitary lung nodule in a patient with a history of extrathoracic cancer. However, if immunohistological analysis has not been performed before surgery, a peroperative frozen section may be insufficient to distinguish between a primary pulmonary tumour and a metastatic tumour.
Aims: To develop a technique for the rapid assessment of TTF-1 expression that could improve the ability of frozen section peroperative histological diagnosis to answer such questions.
Methods: A rapid immunohistochemical technique (lasting 30 minutes) to assess the expression of TTF-1 was developed and tested.
Results: Among the 45 interpretable cases, results of frozen section immunohistochemistry were similar to those found by the standard immunohistochemical technique for the expression of TTF-1.
Conclusions: This technique enables TTF-1 to be analysed peroperatively, but further prospective studies are needed to assess its usefulness in routine practice.
