Description

This antibody reacts with a 58kDa protein identified as vimentin. It shows no cross-reaction with other closely related intermediate filament proteins (IFP) such as desmin, keratin, neurofilament, and glial fibrillary acid protein. Expression of vimentin, when used in conjunction with anti-keratin, is helpful in distinguishing melanomas from undifferentiated carcinomas and large cell lymphomas. All melanomas and Schwannomas react strongly with anti-vimentin. It labels a variety of mesenchymal cells, including melanocytes, lymphocytes, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts. Non-reactivity of anti-vimentin is often considered more useful than its positive reactivity, since there are a few tumors that do not contain vimentin, e.g. hepatoma and seminoma. Anti-vimentin is also useful as a tissue process control reagent.