Use of antimesothelial cell antibody and computer assisted quantitative analysis for distinguishing between reactive and neoplastic serosal tissues.

Nine malignant mesotheliomas and 12 specimens of benign reactive mesothelial hyperplasia were examined using a specific antimesothelial cell antibody. Immunostaining intensity was subsequently estimated by means of image analysis. The mean and standard deviation of integrated optical density in the malignant mesotheliomas differed significantly from those in the mesothelial hyperplasias. In all mesotheliomas but one the integrated optical density was greater than in reactive mesothelial hyperplasia. No significant difference in optical density was observed between the two groups; the standard deviation was significantly higher in the reactive lesions. This technique may be adopted to complement the traditional morphological assessment of primary lesions of the serosal cavities.