• All IHC stains will include a positive control tissue

• OCT 4 is expressed in seminomas/dysgerminomas and embryonal carcinomas (virtually 100% of cases)
• OCT4 also labels intratubular germ cell neoplasia (ITGCN)
• Other germ cell tumors are embryologically more differentiated (yolk sac tumors, mature and immature teratomas, and choriocarcinomas) do not express OCT4
• Spermatocytic seminomas are negative for OCT4
• Sex cord-stromal tumors (Leydig cell and Sertoli cell tumors) are also negative for OCT4
• Rare non-germ cell tumors have been reported to show OCT4 staining, including large cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the lung, and clear cell carcinomas of the kidney (one reported case in each category)

Submit a formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue block

Formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue block

FFPE tissue section mounted on a charged, unstained slide

Ambient (preferred)

• Unlabeled/mislabeled block
• Insufficient tissue
• Slides broken beyond repair

Immunohistochemical staining and microscopic examination

If requested, an interpretive report will be provided

Specifications

• Transcription factor expressed in undifferentiated, pluripotent cells, including human embryonic stem and germ cells, and is thought to be integral for embryonic stem cell formation and renewal
• This protein is found in embryonic germ cells and in undifferentiated tumors that arise from them

Staining pattern

• Nuclear

References

1. Jones TD et al: OCT4 staining in testicular tumors: a sensitive and specific marker for seminoma and embryonal carcinoma. Am J Surg Pathol. 2004 Jul;28(7):935-40.
2. Looijenga LH, et al: POU5F1 (OCT3/4) identifies cells with pluripotent potential in human germ cell tumors. Cancer Res. 2003;63:2244-2250.
3. Ulbright TM and Young RH: Seminoma with tubular, microcystic, and related patterns; a study of 28 cases of unusual morphologic variants that often cause confusion with yolk sac tumor. Am J Surg Pathol 2005; 29:500-505.
4. deJong J, et al: Diagnostic value of OCT3/4 for pre-invasive and invasive testicular germ cell tumours. J Pathol 2005 Jun;205(2):242-9.