Expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in human tumors: a tissue microarray study evaluating 18,666 tumors from 150 different tumor entities

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Publication Details

Journal
Archiv für Pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und für Klinische Medicin
Published
2026-09-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-026-04683-z
Primary Topic
Adrenal and Paraganglionic Tumors
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in human tumors: a tissue microarray study evaluating 18,666 tumors from 150 different tumor entities

Katharina Möller, Ria Uhlig, Maximilian Lennartz, Guido Sauter et al.
Archiv für Pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und für Klinische Medicin
Adrenal and Paraganglionic Tumors
article

Expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in human tumors: a tissue microarray study evaluating 18,666 tumors from 150 different tumor entities

Katharina Möller, Ria Uhlig, Maximilian Lennartz, Guido Sauter, S. Minner, Anne Menz, Florian Lutz, Stefan Steurer, Natalia Gorbokon, Till Krech, Andreas M. Luebke, Claudia Hube‐Magg, Frank Jacobsen, Florian Viehweger, Till S. Clauditz, Ronald Simon, Andrea Hinsch, Martina Kluth, David Dum, Eike Burandt, Christian Bernreuther, Andreas H Marx, Sören Schönig
article en

Abstract

TH immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been proposed as a sensitive and specific tool for the distinction of pheochromocytomas or paragangliomas from epithelial neuroendocrine neoplasms and tumors. However, little is known about the prevalence of TH expression in other tumor entities. To comprehensively evaluate TH expression in normal and tumor tissues, a tissue microarray containing 18,666 samples from 150 different tumor types and subtypes and 608 samples of 76 different normal tissue types were analyzed by IHC. TH immunostaining in tumors was always cytoplasmic. It was detectable in 158 (1%) of the 15,630 analyzable tumors, including 23 (0.1%) with weak, 28 (0.2%) with moderate, and 107 (0.7%) with strong positivity Overall, 14 of 150 tumor categories showed detectable TH expression and only 5 tumor categories included at least one case with strong TH positivity. TH staining was most frequent in pheochromocytomas (100%, including 74.0% with strong positivity), ganglioneuroma (25.0%; including 16.7% with strong positivity), paragangliomas "probably sympathetic" (50.0%; including 43.8% with strong positivity), and paragangliomas "probably parasympathetic" (13.6%; of which all showed strong positivity). Other tumor types showing TH positivity less commonly and at a lower level included medullary thyroid carcinoma (5.9%), squamous cell carcinomas of several organs of origin (up to 4.5%), neuroendocrine neoplasms from several organs (up to 4.3%) and colorectal adenocarcinoma (0.2%). In "non-neural crest" derived tumors, TH staining was often limited to few interspersed cells. In conclusion, a strong positive TH immunostaining is highly specific for pheochromocytomas, ganglioneuroma, and paragangliomas although sensitivity is < 30% for paragangliomas.

Archiv für Pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und für Klinische Medicin
Universität Hamburg (DE), Osnabrück University (DE), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (DE), Klinikum Fulda (DE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Adrenal and Paraganglionic Tumors
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