Cd 68 Immunohistochemistry Bone Marrow

CD68 PG-M1 stains monocytes and macrophages and, to a lesser extent, neutrophils in a cytoplasmic granular staining pattern. It has greater specificity for monocytes and macrophages than does KP-1, but its immunohistochemical staining pattern in nonhematolymphoid tumors has not been studied as extensively as CD68 KP-1. Diagnostically, CD68 PG-M1 is usually applied to cases of acute leukemia to demonstrate monocytic differentiation and to cases of hematolymphoid neoplasms that are suspected to represent histiocytic sarcomas. Immunohistochemistry can be used to identify the presence of CD68, which is found in the cytoplasmic granules of a range of different blood cells and myocytes. It is particularly useful as a marker for the various cells of the macrophage lineage, including monocytes, histiocytes, giant cells, Kupffer cells, and osteoclasts. This allows it to be used to distinguish diseases of otherwise similar appearance, such as the monocyte/macrophage and lymphoid forms of leukaemia (the latter being CD68 negative). Its presence in macrophages also makes it useful in diagnosing conditions related to proliferation or abnormality of these cells, such as malignant histiocytosis, histiocytic lymphoma, and Gaucher's disease.