Canalicular Immunostaining of Aminopeptidase N (CD13) as a Diagnostic Marker for Hepatocellular Carcinomas

Neprilysin (CD13) is expressed in both normal and neoplastic liver tissue, where it exhibits a characteristic canalicular pattern (CD13can) similar to the one observed with anti-CD10 antibodies and when antibodies cross-react with biliary glycoprotein I (p-CEA). The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the use of CD13can in differentiating between hepatocellular (HCC; 53 specimens) and non-hepatocellular carcinomas metastatic to the liver (non-HCC; 34 specimens). Immunostaining was performed with antibodies directed against CD10, CD13, p-CEA, a-fetoprotein (AFP), and HepPar1. In the HCC group, a ca…