• All IHC stains will include a positive control tissue

• The primary use for this antibody is in identifying cells and tumors of smooth muscle origin
• Caldesmon will react with leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas
• This antibody has not been found to significantly react with tumors of skeletal muscle or myofibroblastic origin (less than 1% of cells in MFH tumors have shown some staining)
• This marker will also react with glomus tumors
• Caldesmon will react with benign myoepithelial cells, however neoplastic myoepithelial tumors and mixed tumors of salivary gland and skin show no reactivity
• This antibody has also been used to identify the myoepithelial layer surrounding benign breast proliferations (can be used as an adjunct to SMMS)

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

• Caldesmon is a protein which is reported to be specific for smooth muscle cells
• The h-isoform (this antibody) identifies only vascular and visceral smooth muscle cells; the l-isoform (which our antibody does not recognize) is found in many other kinds of cells
• It combines with calmodulin, tropomyosin, and actin and is thought to regulate cellular contraction
• Caldesmon has not been identified in skeletal muscle

Staining pattern

• Cytoplasmic based activity

References

1. Ceballos KM et al. Is anti-h-caldesmon useful for distinguishing smooth muscle and myofibroblastic tumors? An immunohistochemical study. Am J Clin Pathol, 2000,; 114:746-753.
2. Watanabe K et al: H-caldesmon in leiomyosarcoma and tumors with smooth muscle cell-like differentiation: its specific expression in the smooth muscle cell tumor. Hum Pathol, 1999,; 30:4; 392-396.
3. Wang NP et al: Antibodies to novel myoepithelium associated proteins distinguish benign lesions and carcinoma in situ from invasive carcinoma of the breast. Appl Immunohistochemistry 1997; 5(3) 141-151.