Stains & CD markers
Caldesmon
Copyright: 2003-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: caldesmon
Caldesmon
Author: Lauren N. Stuart, M.D., M.B.A.
Last author update: 1 June 2013
Last staff update: 17 June 2021
Copyright: 2003-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: caldesmon
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Uses by pathologists | Microscopic (histologic) images | Positive staining - normal | Positive staining - disease | Negative staining - normal | Negative staining - diseaseCite this page: Stuart L. Caldesmon. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainscaldesmon.html. Accessed May 8th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Caldesmon binds calcium, calmodulin, tropomyosin and actin and regulates smooth muscle contraction (Int J Biochem Cell Biol 1997;29:1047)
- Regulates smooth muscle contraction and relaxation
- May play a role in preventing unwanted contractions (Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2009;297:H1930)
- Interpretation: cytoplasmic staining
- h-caldesmon is high molecular weight isoform, found in smooth muscle cells; l-caldesmon isoform is distributed in non-muscle cells (J Biol Chem 1991;266:355)
Uses by pathologists
- Very useful to distinguish smooth muscle cells / lesions (positive) from myofibroblastic cells / lesions (negative or only a few cells positive, Am J Clin Pathol 2000;114:746, Am J Dermatopathol 2006;28:105)
- Distinguish uterine leiomyoma or leiomyosarcoma (positive) from endometrial stromal tumors (negative, Am J Surg Pathol 2001;25:455), but endometrial stromal tumors may have focal smooth muscle differentiation (Am J Surg Pathol 2002;26:1142)
- Sensitive and specific for epithelioid peritoneal mesothelioma (positive) versus ovarian serous carcinoma (negative, Am J Surg Pathol 2007;31:1139) and epithelioid pleural mesothelioma (positive) versus pulmonary adenocarcinoma (negative, Am J Surg Pathol 2006;30:463)
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
Colon-pericrytal fibroblast sheath (fig A)
Leiomyosarcoma, soft tissue
Positive staining - normal
- Smooth muscle cells (vascular, visceral)
Positive staining - disease
- Angioleiomyoma (Hum Pathol 2007;38:645), gastrointestinal stomal tumor (61%, Pathol Oncol Res 2005;11:11), glomus tumor (Hum Pathol 1999;30:392), inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (focal, Am J Surg Pathol 2006;30:1502)
- Leiomyoma / leiomyomatosis (Eur J Gynaecol Oncol 2004;25:481), leiomyosarcoma (Am J Surg Pathol 2004;28:178, Am J Surg Pathol 2001;25:455, but see Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2001;9:302)
- Myopericytoma (Am J Surg Pathol 2006;30:104), perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (Int J Gynecol Pathol 2005;24:341), sclerosing PEComa (92%, Am J Surg Pathol 2008;32:493)
Negative staining - normal
- Endometrium, endometrial stroma, myofibroblasts (J Submicrosc Cytol Pathol 2005;37:231), pericytes
Negative staining - disease
- Cellular angiofibroma (Mod Pathol 2011;24:82), dermatomyofibroma (J Cutan Pathol 2011;38:967), endometrial stromal tumor (references above), fibromatosis, inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma-epithelioid (Am J Surg Pathol 2011;35:135)
- Mesothelial tumors of peritoneum, myofibroblastoma (Pathology 2005;37:144), myofibroblastic lesions (Int J Surg Pathol 2005;13:57)
- Nodular fasciitis, ovarian serous tumors, PEComa-primary cutaneous (Am J Surg Pathol 2008;32:608) pleural malignant mesotheliomas (96%, Am J Surg Pathol 2010;34:627)
- Rhabdomyosarcoma (Am J Surg Pathol 2005;29:1106), synovial sarcoma (Am J Surg Pathol 2002;26:1434)
