The identity of proliferating cells in bone tumors with cartilaginous components: evaluation by double-immunohistochemical staining using proliferating cell nuclear antigen and S-100 protein.

S-100 protein (S-100) appears to be a marker for bone tumors of cartilaginous origin. Any analyses of proliferative activity in S-100-positive tumor cells, however, has not yet been presented. This study assessed the proliferative activity of those cells by means of a double-immunohistochemical staining method using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and S-100. The most intense reactivity for S-100 was found in the well-differentiated chondrocytes of enchondromas, osteochondromas, and osteosarcomas. On the contrary, the more immature the tumor cells were, the more intensely positive they were for PCNA. In parosteal chondrosarcoma, exceptionally, PCNA-positive as well as S-100-positive cells were abundant, suggesting that these proliferating cells produced S-100. In periosteal osteosarcoma, however, the proliferating cells labeled by PCNA revealed little reactivity for S-100. This immunohistochemical method is potentially useful to know the identity and origin of proliferating cells and may sometimes be diagnostic for bone tumors containing cartilaginous elements.