In G/GEJ tumours, CLDN18.2 is reported as the percentage of tumour cells stained with moderate-to-strong membranous stain intensity.1
- Tissue slides with tumour cells present can demonstrate varying levels of CLDN18 membranous staining intensity, ranging from no staining to strong staining (0 to 3+)
- Many studies have included percentage of tumour cells with only moderate-to-strong (2+/3+) membranous staining for scoring CLDN18
- Account for tumour necrosis during interpretation
Matched H&E and IHC stain of gastric tumour necrosis (10x magnification)
How to Interpret CLDN18.2
Josef H. Rüschoff, MD
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CLDN, claudin; CLDN18.2, claudin 18 isoform 2; G/GEJ, gastric/gastroesophageal junction; H&E, hematoxylin and eosin; IHC, immunohistochemistry
References: 1. Pellino A, Brignola S, Riello E, et al. Association of CLDN18 protein expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis in advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinomas. J Pers Med. (Epub) 10-26-2021. 2. Rohde C, Yamaguchi R, Mukhina S, et al. Comparison of Claudin 18.2 expression in primary tumors and lymph node metastases in Japanese patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2019;49(9):870-6.