Stains & CD markers
Gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15)
Copyright: 2003-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: GCDFP-15
Gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15)
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Last author update: 1 July 2013
Last staff update: 18 June 2021
Copyright: 2003-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: GCDFP-15
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Uses by pathologists | Microscopic (histologic) images | Positive staining - normal | Positive staining - disease | Negative stainingCite this page: Pernick N. Gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15). PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsgcdfp15.html. Accessed June 6th, 2023.
Definition / general
- Also called BRST2, prolactin-induced protein (PIP)
- Physiology: glycoprotein originally isolated in human breast gross cystic fluid
Uses by pathologists
- Differentiate breast carcinoma metastatic to ovary (positive) from primary ovarian carcinoma (negative)
- Marker of apocrine differentiation, including apocrine carcinoma of breast, although B72.3 may be more sensitive and specific (APMIS 2006;114:712)
- Less sensitive but more specific than mammaglobin in breast carcinoma in tissue (Am J Clin Pathol 2007;127:103) and similar findings in fluids (Diagn Cytopathol 2009;37:475) but mammaglobin more specific in metastatic breast carcinoma to lung and pleura (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2008;132:239)
- Differentiating primary vulvar Paget disease (positive) from vulvar Paget disease secondary to carcinoma (negative, Arch Pathol Lab Med 1998;122:1077)
Microscopic (histologic) images
Case #68
Invasive apocrine
carcinoma of breast
Case #125
Metastatic lobular carcinoma
in an endometrial polyp
Images hosted on other servers:
Breast (benign)
Positive staining - normal
- All apocrine, lacrimal, ceruminous and Moll glands
- All cutaneous eccrine glands
- Numerous serous cells of submandibular, sublingual and minor salivary glands
- Also serous cells of nasal and bronchial glands (Virchows Arch 1998;432:255)
Positive staining - disease
- Lobular breast carcinoma (90%)
- Primary breast carcinoma (72%)
- Metastatic breast carcinoma (80%)
- Salivary gland carcinoma (Mod Pathol 1998;11:1033)
- Lung adenocarcinoma with apocrine features (Am J Surg Pathol 2008;32:426)
- Papillary hidradenoma (Arch Pathol Lab Med 1991;115:1249)
- Vulva - primary Paget disease (see vulva chapter) and primary breast carcinoma
- Prostate carcinoma (Hum Pathol 1989;20:281)
Negative staining
- Vulvar Paget secondary to carcinoma (Hum Pathol 2002;33:545)
- Serous papillary adenocarcinoma of female genital tract (Hum Pathol 2008;39:666)
- Ovarian carcinoma (Am J Surg Pathol 2005;29:1482)
