Stains & molecular markers
Cytokeratin CAM 5.2
Copyright: 2003-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: CAM 5.2[title]
Cytokeratin CAM 5.2
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Topic Completed: 1 May 2013
Minor changes: 14 December 2020
Copyright: 2003-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: CAM 5.2[title]
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Uses by pathologists | Microscopic (histologic) images | Positive staining - normal | Positive staining - disease | Negative stainingCite this page: Pernick N. Cytokeratin CAM 5.2. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainscam52.html. Accessed January 19th, 2021.
Definition / general
- Commonly used antibody to cytokeratins 8 and to a lesser extent CK7, but not to cytokeratin 18 or 19 (Am J Clin Pathol 2010;133:514)
- A low molecular weight cytokeratin
Uses by pathologists
- Confirm or rule out epithelial nature of tissue, tumors or components of tumors
- Identify metastatic carcinoma in lymph nodes ( Int J Gynecol Cancer 2006;16:1336), but also stains reticulum cells (Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2001;9:297), so AE1-AE3 may be better
- Identify micrometastases / isolated tumor cells, a poor prognostic factor in bile duct (hilar) carcinoma (World J Gastroenterol 2006;12:2549), esophageal carcinoma (Ann Thorac Surg 2004;78:1161), rectal carcinoma (Dis Colon Rectum 2003;46:333) and stomach carcinoma (Am J Surg Pathol 2005;29:1135)
- Identify metastases in bone marrow (Br J Cancer 2002;86:1047), although false positives may also occur (Eur J Surg Oncol 2001;27:740)
- Identify residual tumor posttreatment, but must pay attention to nature of cells, since CAM 5.2 may stain myofibroblasts and smooth muscle cells (Am J Surg Pathol 2007;31:390)
- Distinguish metastatic carcinoma (CAM 5.2+, GFAP-) from glioblastoma multiforme (CAM 5.2-, GFAP+, Arch Pathol Lab Med 1999;123:917)
- Part of a panel to distinguish uterine tumors resembling ovarian sex cord tumors (CAM 5.2+) from smooth muscle neoplasms (negative, Mod Pathol 2006;19:17)
- Distinguish Paget's disease (CAM 5.2+) from pagetoid squamous cell carcinoma in situ (negative, J Cutan Pathol 2003;30:449)
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
Breast: left-normal, right-carcinoma
Breast: metaplastic carcinoma
Choroid plexus: papilloma-pigmented
Pancreas: ductal adenocarcinoma
Skin: dermatopathic
lymphadenitis
(dendritic cells are
CAM 5.2+)
Quality control-various images
Small cell carcinoma: dot like staining
Positive staining - normal
- Apocrine glands
- Most epithelial cells including dendritic cells (J Clin Pathol 1989;42:271)
- Hepatocytes
- Toker cells (Virchows Arch 2002;441:117)
- Trophoblast
Positive staining - disease
- Most carcinomas, including sarcomatoid carcinoma; dot-like perinuclear pattern for small cell carcinoma
- Adenomatoid tumor: Am J Surg Pathol 2003;27:969
- Adrenal tumors: oncocytic (Am J Surg Pathol 1998;22:603, Am J Surg Pathol 2000;24:1552)
- Appendix: myofibroblasts in appendicitis (Med Mol Morphol 2006;39:209) and gastric ulcer (Histol Histopathol 2006;21:697)
- Breast: benign proliferative nipple duct lesions (Am J Surg Pathol 1999;23:1349)
- CNS: astroblastoma (J Korean Med Sci 2004;19:772), choroid plexus papilloma (Histopathology 1989;15:61), meningioma-malignant (75%, Mod Pathol 2004;17:1129), meningioma-secretory
- Esophagus: gangliocytic paraganglioma
- Eye: melanoma of uvea (38%, Am J Pathol 1992;141:169)
- GU: inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (67%, Am J Surg Pathol 2006;30:1502), postoperative spindle cell nodule
- Heart: cardiac myxoma with glandular elements (Ir J Med Sci 1993;162:95)
- Liver: Mallory bodies (Histopathology 1988;13:605)
- Mesothelioma-malignant (Semin Diagn Pathol 2006;23:15) and benign cystic
- Ovary: dysgerminoma (19%, Hum Pathol 2006;37:1015), ependymoma (60%), female adnexal tumours of probable Wolffian origin (Histopathology 2001;38:237), granulosa cell tumor-adult type (33-50%, Am J Surg Pathol 1992;16:962), Sertoli cell tumor
- Prostate: adenocarcinoma-neuroendocrine cells (Prostate 2006;66:1399)
- Skin: Paget’s disease (mammary and extramammary, J Cutan Pathol 2003;30:449, Am J Surg Pathol 1992;16:58)
- Soft tissue: alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (52%, Mod Pathol 2008;21:795), angiosarcoma (variable), desmoplastic round cell tumor (Mod Pathol 2003;16:229), epithelioid sarcoma (J Cutan Pathol 2003;30:242), leiomyosarcoma-myxoid (25%), schwannoma-glandular (Br J Dermatol 2001;145:834), synovial sarcoma (71%, Histopathology 1986;10:1315)
- Squamous cell carcinoma: usually (Semin Diagn Pathol 2006;23:15)
- Testis: seminoma with atypia (Int J Surg Pathol 2002;10:23); 48% of mediastinal seminomas (Am J Surg Pathol 2008;32:146)
- Trophoblastic tumors (Int J Gynecol Pathol 1986;5:345)
- Uterus: endometrial stromal sarcoma (variable, Hum Pathol 2008;39:1459)
Negative staining
- CNS: glioblastoma (Arch Pathol Lab Med 1999;123:917), most meningiomas, supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor
- Melanoma: usually (Histopathology 1986;10:1315, Int J Dermatol 2003;42:123), Am J Surg Pathol 1997;21:1196, but uveal tumors are CAM 5.2+
- Most sarcomas: exceptions indicated above
