CD138 (Syndecan-1) Expression in Bone-Forming Tumors

• Published in: American journal of clinical pathology Vol. 137; no. 3; pp. 423 - 428
• Main Authors: NUNEZ, Amberly L, SIEGAL, Gene P, REDDY, Vishnu V. B, SHI WEI
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL American Society of Clinical Pathologists 01-03-2012; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Neoplasms - metabolism; Bone Neoplasms - pathology; Child; Databases, Factual; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Giant Cell Tumor of Bone - metabolism; Giant Cell Tumor of Bone - pathology; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Osteoblastoma - metabolism; Osteoblastoma - pathology; Osteoma - metabolism; Osteoma - pathology; Osteosarcoma - metabolism; Osteosarcoma - pathology; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Syndecan-1 - metabolism; Tissue Array Analysis; Tumors of striated muscle and skeleton; Young Adult; Sarcoma; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Syndecan 1; Malignant tumor; Osteoblastoma; Osteoarticular system; Anatomic pathology; Osteosarcoma; Bone tumor; Ossifying fibroma; Syndecan-1; Osteoid osteoma; CD138; Benign neoplasm; Bone; Cancer
• ISSN: 0002-9173; 1943-7722
• DOI: 10.1309/AJCP6V4YPFBOCYXG

CD138 (syndecan-1), a cell surface proteoglycan, is sensitive and specific for plasmacytic differentiation in hematologic disorders. Expression of CD138 has been observed in a majority of epithelial neoplasms and, rarely, soft tissue tumors. However, its expression in bone tumors has not been evaluated. We studied CD138 expression in 27 osteosarcomas, 12 benign bone-forming tumors (osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma), and 17 reactive bone cases. CD138 expression was also evaluated in a tissue microarray (TMA) constructed from 24 osteosarcomas, 24 chondrosarcomas, 12 giant cell tumors of bone, and 9 normal bone samples. Membranous expression of CD138 was found in an average of 31% of osteosarcoma cases (16/51; 14/27 [52%] in in-house cases; 2/24 [8%] in TMA cases) and in 83% of osteoid osteoma/osteoblastoma cases (10/12). Subsequent immunoglobulin κ and λ stains were negative in the CD138+ cases. All cases of chondrosarcoma, giant cell tumor of bone, and normal/reactive bone tested were nonreactive with anti-CD138. Our results show that CD138 reactivity for neoplastic cells in bone is not a definitive marker for plasmacytic origin, and caution is required to interpret CD138+ cells from a bony lesion for which a hematologic etiology has not been established.