An immunoperoxidase study of S-100 protein distribution in normal and neoplastic tissues

TLDR

Immunohistochemistry was performed on 260 formalin‑fixed, paraffin‑embedded tumor specimens to detect S‑100 protein. S‑100 protein was found in diverse tumors—including peripheral nerve tumors, ganglioneuromas, carcinoid tumors, chondrosarcoma, chordomas, pleomorphic adenomas, and Langerhans cell granulomatosis—showing it is not specific to nervous tissue but remains a useful diagnostic marker.

Abstract

The presence of S-100 protein was immunohistochemically studied in many types of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumors (260 cases). Peripheral nerve tumors, i.e., schwannomas, neurofibromas, granular cell tumors, and neurogenic sarcomas were demonstrated to contain variable amounts of S-100 protein in the tumor cell cytoplasm and nuclei. In ganglioneuromas and ganglioneuroblastomas, neoplastic Schwann cells or satellite cells were positive for S-100 protein. About one-half of the cases of carcinoid tumors stained weakly for S-100 protein. In addition to these nervous tissue and carcinoid tumors, chondrosarcoma, chordomas, pleomorphic adenomas of the salivary gland, and Langerhans cell granulomatosis were also shown to produce S-100 protein. In many types of breast tumors and other lesions, S-100 protein positive cells were likely to correspond to the distribution of myoepithelial cells. These results indicate that S-100 protein is not strictly specific to nervous tissue and its tumors; however, the immunohistochemical demonstration of S-100 protein can be a useful diagnostic tool in tumor diagnosis.