This article was written by pathologists for patients. It aims to help patients understand GFAP and its significance in pathology reports. It includes sections on what GFAP is, where it is normally found, how pathologists test for it, and which benign and malignant tumours express this protein. What is GFAP? GFAP stands for glial fibrillary …
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This article was written by pathologists. This article aims to help patients understand what CD138 is and its significance in pathology reports. It includes sections on what CD138 is, where it is normally found, how pathologists test for it, and which benign and malignant tumours express CD138. What is CD138? CD138 is a protein found …
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WT-1 (Wilms’ tumour 1) is a type of protein called a transcription factor. It was originally identified due to its association with Wilms’ tumour, a type of kidney cancer that affects children. It plays a critical role in the development and function of the kidneys and testis, influencing gene expression related to cellular growth and …
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Smooth muscle actin (SMA) is a protein that plays an important role in the structure and function of smooth muscle cells. Smooth muscle is one of the three types of muscle tissue found in the human body, with the other two being skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle. SMA is a specialized protein that allows cells …
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What is PAX5? PAX5 (Paired box protein 5) is a type of protein called a transcription factor that plays an important role in the development and function of B cells, a type of white blood cells (WBCs) that are part of the body’s immune system. It is also known as BSAP (B-cell-specific activator protein) due …
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AE1/AE3 are a pair of antibodies that recognize multiple cytokeratins, intermediate filament proteins found in epithelial cells. Cytokeratins are normally located in the cytoplasm (body) of the epithelial cell. Pathologists perform a test called immunohistochemistry to stain tissues for AE1/AE3 and the pattern and intensity of staining can help identify the presence of epithelial cells …
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CDX-2 is a gene that encodes for a protein known as Caudal Type Homeobox 2. It is a member of the caudal-related homeobox transcription factor gene family. This protein is crucial for embryonic development, particularly in forming the small and large intestines. It acts as a transcription factor that regulates the expression of genes involved …
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Synaptophysin is a protein made by neuroendocrine cells. These types of cells are found in the brain and in endocrine organs such as the thyroid gland, adrenal gland, and pancreas. Small groups of neuroendocrine cells can also be found in non-endocrine organs throughout the body such as the stomach, small bowel, colon, skin, bladder, and …
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What is PAX8? PAX8 (Paired box gene 8) is a specialized protein called a transcription factor. It plays an important role in the formation of various organs including the thyroid gland, kidneys, ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and vagina. What does PAX8 do? The PAX8 protein is required for the normal development and function of various …
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TTF-1 (stands for thyroid transcription factor -1) is a transcription factor that plays an important role in the development and differentiation of the thyroid gland, thymus, lung, and brain. It is a nuclear protein which means it is normally found in a part of the cell called the nucleus. TTF-1 is normally expressed in the …
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