Description
The transcription factor Oct-4 is crucial for the maintenance of cell pluripotency and is known to be expressed in embryonic stem cells, germ cells and whole embryos at various stages of development. Oct-4 regulates cell fate in a dose-dependent manner and plays a key role in germ-cell tumors. It has been detected in primary testicular germ cell tumors with pluripotent potential, seminoma, and embryonal carcinoma. Oct-4 immunostaining is comparable sensitivity but has greater consistency compared with CD30 in the diagnosis of embryonal carcinoma. Oct-4 is used as a potential prognostic tumor marker.
References
1. Jones et al, OCT4 Staining in Testicular Tumors: A Sensitive and Specific Marker for Seminoma and Embryonal Carcinoma, The American Journal of Surgical Pathology, 2004 July, V (28) - Issue 7, p 935-940.
2. C. Matthai et al, Oct-4 expression in human endometrium, Basic science of reproductive medicine, 2006 January 01-V(12), Issue 1, P 7–10.
3. Muhammad T Idrees et al, The role of OCT4 immunohistochemistry in evaluation of retroperitoneal lymph node dissections: a pilot study, Modern Pathology 2013 June 14, p 1613–1619.
4. Nasim Hatefi et al, Evaluating the Expression of Oct4 as a Prognostic Tumor Marker in Bladder Cancer, Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2012 Nov-Dec, V 15(6), p 1154–1161.
