h-Caldesmon as a specific marker for smooth muscle tumors. Comparison with other smooth muscle markers in bone tumors.

Caldesmon is a protein widely distributed in smooth and non-smooth muscle cells and is thought to regulate cellular contraction. Its isoform, high-molecular-weight caldesmon (h-CD), was demonstrated to be specific for smooth muscle cells and smooth muscle tumors of the soft tissue and to never be expressed in myofibroblasts. We performed an immunohistochemical study to examine h-CD expression in the following bone tumors: conventional and non-conventional osteosarcoma, 13; malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone, 5; giant cell tumors of bone, 5; chondroblastoma, 3; metastatic leiomyosarcoma, 2; and rhabdomyosarcoma, 1. Frequent immunoreactivity for muscle actin (alpha-smooth muscle actin or muscle-specific actin) was seen in 11 of 13 osteosarcomas and all other tumors, whereas h-CD was expressed intensely only in 2 leiomyosarcomas. h-CD is considered a specific and useful marker to distinguish smooth muscle tumor from bone tumors with myoid differentiation.