Search

Background: Grade 2 breast carcinomas do not form a uniform prognostic group., Aim: To extend the number of patients and the investigated genes of a previously identified prognostic signature described by the authors that reflect chromosomal instability in order to refine characterization of grade 2 breast cancers and identify driver genes., Methods: Using publicly available databases, the authors selected 9 target and 3 housekeeping genes that are capable to divide grade 2 breast carcinomas into prognostic groups. Gene expression was investigated by polymerase chain reaction in 249 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded breast tumors. The results were correlated with relapse-free survival., Results: Histologically grade 2 carcinomas were split into good and a poor prognosis groups. Centroid-based ranking showed that 3 genes, FOXM1, TOP2A and CLDN4 were able to separate the good and poor prognostic groups of grade 2 breast carcinomas., Conclusion: Using appropriately selected control genes, a limited set of genes is able to split prognostic groups of breast carcinomas independently from their grade.

Authors report here on a case presenting as B-CLL and complicated with cutaneous infiltration involving the legs and the trunk a year later. Immunohistochemic analysis and the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement confirmed cell invasion into the skin identical with the underlying disorder. After failure of conventional chemotherapy, interferon alpha 2b therapy has been started with satisfactory result. Few cases presenting cutaneous infiltration in the course of B-CLL has already been reported in the literature. Secondary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma represents an entity of the poorest prognosis in comparison with primary cutaneous form treated with conventional therapy as well as with lymphomas lacking skin manifestations. Interferon alpha 2b therapy cleans up the skin and yields a favourable survival so it's introduction recommended in this entity. Authors summarise the characteristics of secondary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas on the basis of literature survey. According to authors investigations histidine decarboxylase activity was found to be absent from the lymphocytes infiltrating the skin in contrast to those remaining in the circulation. This seems to be a newly recognised feature of these cells. The changing character of the disease raises the possibility of an altered gene expression pattern of the cells invading the skin. Authors summarise data from the literature concerning suspected molecular mechanism of tissue invasion.

After major developments in the diagnosis and therapy of the primary cancer, at the turn of the century clinical oncology is still facing the major challenge: management of the disseminated disease. Cancer biology provided basic information on the genetic and biochemical background of the process, however, it turned out that the individual tumor types use a wide range of mechanisms for invasion and metastasis. Recent major discoveries concerning invasion are identification of the invasion organelle (invadopodia) and identification of certain molecular mechanisms leading to organ-selective metastatization. Prognostic pathology emerged as a new diagnostic field, specialized in predicting the metastatic behavior of the tumor based on the geno- and phenotype of the primary tumor. Ultimately, the first drugs which were designed on the principles of tumor progression entered clinical trials (angiogenesis- and MMP-inhibitors) indicating a slow but steady transfer of cancer biology knowledge to clinical oncology predicting a significant development in the management of disseminated cancer patients.

The effect of a widely used trace element preparation (Béres-Drop Plus, BDP) on the liver metastasis forming potential of 3LL-HH tumor was studied. The daily, oral administration of BDP caused a decrease in the number of liver metastases, irrespective of the presence or absence of the primary spleen tumor. It is suggested, that the zinc component of BDP is responsible, at least partly--for the inhibitory action.

For the evaluation of the prognosis of the melanoma malignum (MM) several markers have been used before but none of them was powerful enough therefore a search for new markers is justified. The authors have studied the expression of three metastasis associated proteins, nm23, CD44v3 and MMP2 collagenase using immunohistochemistry on the paraffin embedded tissue samples of 22 primary skin melanomas. The expression of these markers was independent from the thickness of the tumor or the clinical stage of the disease. Due to the frequent discrepancy between the thickness of the tumor and the actual outcome of the disease, they regrouped the cases according to the biological behaviour of the tumor into non-metastatic, lymph node-metastatic and organ metastatic forms. Based on the MMP2 expression +/- tumors can be found but the expression does not correspond to the biological behaviour of MM while decreased nm23 expression characterized the lymph node metastatic tumors. CD44v3 expression was rare in MM and occurred at low level, however, when expressed it showed significant correlation to the organ metastatic phenotype. The authors concluded that the classic invasion markers in case of MM have a limited potential in the characterisation of the invasive phenotype, therefore more sensitive markers are necessary.

In the diagnosis of the Langerhans cell histiocytosis several monocyte and macrophag markers have been tested in the recent years. We compared the expression of macrophage and lymphoid markers in childhood and adult type Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Ten childhood and 11 adult cases were tested using paraffin sections of biopsy samples. We have examined 6 markers: the S-100, Lysozyme, CD68 macrophag and the CD1a, CD4, HLA-DR lymphoid markers. We have found that the CD68 marker was more frequently positive than the other examined macrophag markers, and proved to be almost as reliable as the recently discovered CD1a. The most interesting result was that the expression of the markers was different in the childhood and adult type of the disease. On the basis of our experience the possibility arise that the phenotype of the childhood and adult type of the Langerhans cell histiocytosis is different.

Central effects of high dose (-)deprenyl (50-100 mg/kg sc) was compared to that of (+)deprenyl and (+/-)amphetamine (AM). (+)Deprenyl and AM induced stereotyped behaviour, increased spontaneous motility in smaller and decreased it in higher doses, inhibited escape behaviour and shuttle-box avoidance. (-)Deprenyl failed to possess any of these effects, providing further evidence that AM-type metabolites have no share in the action of (-)deprenyl.

The cellular localization of the p21 protein was studied by immunoelectron microscopy in human fibrosarcoma cells with different N-ras gene expression. The tumorigenic HT1080 cells-expressing equally the normal and mutant N-ras genes-contained the p21 in the plasma membrane, in pinocytotic areas as well as in the intracellular vesicles. The non-tumorigenic revertants-expressing more normal N-ras gene than the mutant one-contained p21 in the plasma membrane, especially at the cell junctions. These results suggest, that the mutant p21 may locate to the membrane areas connected with pino- or endocytotic functions.

The cellular localization of the p21 protein was studied by immunoelectron microscopy in human fibrosarcoma cells with different N-ras gene expression. The tumorigenic HT1080 cells--expressing equally the normal and mutant N-ras genes--contained the p21 in the plasma membrane, in pinocytotic areas as well as in the intracellular vesicles. The non-tumorigenic revertants--expressing more normal N-ras gene than the mutant one--contained p21 in the plasma membrane, especially at the cell junctions. These results suggest, that the mutant p21 may locate to the membrane areas connected with pino- or endocytotic functions.

The morphological features of a human amelanotic melanoma tumour line, HT-18 was studied in vitro. Primary cultures show that the tumour cells are biphasic with respect to their differentiation as revealed by light microscopy, SEM and TEM. Most of the cells show numerous processes resembling neuronal dendrites. The cytoplasm contains stage I and II melanosomes, occasionally melanosomes showing irregular pigmentation. According to these observations it appears that the HT-18 cells are at an earlier phase of differentiation showing both melanogenic and neurogenic activity.