Original Article
Mod Pathol 2002;15(2):110–115
Immunohistochemical Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Setting of Ongoing Necrosis after Radiofrequency Ablation
Tomoo Itoh M.D.1, Yasuko Orba C.T.1, Hidehiro Takei M.D.1, Yusuke Ishida M.D.1, Makoto Saitoh M.D.1, Hideaki Nakamura M.D.2, Takashi Meguro M.D.2, Shoichi Horita M.D.2, Miri Fujita M.D.3 and Kazuo Nagashima M.D.1,4
- 1Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan
- 2Hokkaido Gastroenterology Hospital, Hokkaido, Japan
- 3Department of Pathology, Shin-Nittetsu Muroran General Hospital, Muroran
- 4Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
Correspondence: Kazuo Nagashima, M.D., Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan. e-mail: knagasi@med.hokudai.ac.jp; fax: 81-11-706-7806.
Accepted 30 October 2001.
Abstract
After radiofrequency ablation (RFA), hepatocellular carcinoma undergoes complete necrosis and an ongoing necrosis that is irreversible and characterized histologically by disrupted cell outlines, homogenous cytoplasmic eosinophilia, and preserved nuclear staining, with the cells appearing quite distinct from viable cancer cells. Antibody to detect single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) specifically labeled nuclei in the setting of ongoing necrosis, but not viable tumor cells, whereas human mitochondrial antibody labeled the cytoplasm of viable cells but not cells of ongoing necrosis. The results demonstrate that RFA causes denaturation of both DNA and proteins and that the immunohistochemistry of ssDNA and mitochondrial protein is useful in detection of ongoing necrosis after RFA and provides pathological information on the validity of this procedure.
Keywords:
Hepatocellular carcinoma, Immunohistochemistry, Mitochondria, Ongoing necrosis, Radiofrequency ablation, ssDNA
