Usefulness of OCT4/3 immunostain in pediatric malignant germ cell tumors

Fetal Pediatr Pathol. 2013 Apr;32(2):82-7. doi: 10.3109/15513815.2012.671448. Epub 2012 Apr 16.

Abstract

Octamer4/3 is a POU transcription factor that regulates pluripotentiality in embryonic stem and germ cells and primordial germ cells. When expressed in post-embryonic life, Octamer4/3 may lead to malignant germ cell tumors (GCT). Thirty samples were selected for this study (26 GCT samples and 4 cryptorchid testes samples) and 16 non-GCT were used as controls. Samples were stained with an anti-Octamer4/3 antibody. All cases of GCT were positive for Octamer4/3, and the non-GCT were negative. This article focuses on pediatric populations where we found that Octamer4/3 immunostaining is a useful diagnostic tool in undifferentiated pediatric tumors.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / diagnosis*
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / metabolism
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / analysis*
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / biosynthesis

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3
  • POU5F1 protein, human