[Neuroendocrine tumors of digestive system: morphologic spectrum and cell proliferation (Ki67 index)].

This review deals with the analysis of up-to-date concepts ofdiferent types of human neuroendocrine tumors of the digestive system. It summarizes the information on the specifics of recent histological classifications and criteria of morphological diagnosis accounting histological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical parameters. Current issues of the nomenclature as well as various systems of grading and staging are discussed.

[Immunohistochemical study of epidermal growth factor receptor expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma].

Primary tumors from 31 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) were immunohistochemically studied for the expression of markers of ESCC in order to define the clinical value of the levels of EGFR and HER-2 in the tumors. EGFR and HER-2 hyperexpression in the tumors of patients with ESCC was ascertained to be an important marker for the analysis of the clinical features of ESCC. There was an association of the elevated levels of EGFR and HER-2 in the tumors of ESCC patients with the presence of vascular tumor invasion (p = 0.

[Expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 and their tissue inhibitors 1 and 2 in papillary thyroid cancer: an association with the clinical, morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of a tumor].

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) was ascertained to be characterized by a significant expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and 9) and a TIMP-2 inhibitor and decreased TIMP-1 accumulation in the cytoplasm of tumor cells; at the same time a combination of high cytoplasmic MMP-9 expression with no TIMP-1, as well as triple positive co-expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP-2 are poor immunohistochemical indicators. The results of the performed study suggest that the detection of the types of expression of MMP-9+/TIMP-1 and MMP-2+/MMP-9+/TIMP-2+ is associated with the possible progression of a tumor process and concurrent with poor clinical and morphological signs, such as the large size of the tumor, the presence of intravascular invasion and regional metastases, organ capsular invasion, and low ultrastructural tumor cell differentiation. Thus, changes in the tumor expression of the extracellular matrix enzymes MMR-2 and MMP-9 and their inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 along with the major clinical, morphological, and ultrastructural signs of the disease are important additional indicators for analyzing the malignant potential of PTC.

[Significance of the expression of nucleolar argyrophilic proteins and antigen Ki-67 in the evaluation of cell proliferative activity and in the prediction of minimal (T1) lung cancer].

S u m m a ry. - The subject of the study was 20 cases of non-small-cell lung carcinomas, up to 3 cm in diameter, conventionally designed as minimal lung cancers removed in patients operated on at the N. N.

[Signet ring cancer of the stomach: clinico-morphological features, postsurgical results and prognosis].

Clinico-morphological features of signet ring cancer of the stomach were evaluated in 372 out of 2,308 gastric cancer patients undergoing gastroectomy or stomach resection. Signet ring tumor pathology occurs mostly in young females and younger patients generally. It features high incidence of early cancers, low frequency of metastatic spreading to lymph nodes (T1-T2), high frequency of immediate involvement of perigastric fatty tissues, peritoneum and ovaries and infrequent spreading to the liver.

[Immunohistochemical study of E-cadherin, beta-catenin and CD-44v6 expression in the cells of primary colon cancer and its metastases].

129 primary colon carcinomas, 35 metastases to the lymph nodes and 92 metastases to the liver are studied. Reduction or complete absence of E-cadherin was more frequently observed in cases with liver metastases (64/ 84 - 76%) than in patients without metastases (14/45 - 31%) (p = 0,014). Also, beta-catenin expression was more frequent in cases with metastases.

[The features of expression of cellular adhesion molecules in primary colorectal cancer and its metastases].

Features of expression, distribution and interaction of E-cadherin, beta-catenin and CD-44v6 were immunologically assayed in samples from primary colorectal tumors (129) and their metastases to the lymph nodes (35) and liver (92). Reduction or total absence of E-cadherin expression was significantly more typical of tumors metastasizing, at different stages, to the liver (64/84, 76%) than in metastasis-free ones (14/45, 31%) (p=0.014).

[Expression of nm23 and c-erbB-2 proteins in cells of primary colorectal cancer and its metastases].

Expression of proteins nm 23 and c-erbB-2 is observed in many human carcinomas and is associated with the disease progression. Immunohistochemical study of nm23 and c-erbB-2 expression was performed on 64 primary tumours, 19 metastases in the lymph nodes and 37 liver metastases. More pronounced expression of these proteins in the primary tumour cells is observed in cases with liver metastases.

[Breast cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation].

One rare case of mammary carcinoma with an unusual clinical course and non-typical morphology is described. The diagnosis of mammary carcinoma with neuro-endocrine differentiation was established on the basis of histologic, immunomorphologic and electron-microscopic examination.

[Geographic differences in the frequency of chromosome alterations characteristic of cancer of the large intestine].

The authors' material (33 tumours) and that from foreign literature (18 to 100 tumours from every country) was used. The following chromosome aberrations were compared: the deletion of a part of chromosome 1 short arm, deletion of chromosome 5 and a part of its long arm, additional chromosomes 7, complete or partial deletion of chromosome 17 short arm, deletion of chromosome 18 and appearance of additional chromosomes 20. Clear-cut differences were revealed between the following three groups of regions: 1) countries of the Eastern and Western Europe (Russia, France, Germany); 2) Northern Europe countries (Denmark, SWeden); 3) USA and China.

[The role of monoclonal antibodies to the epithelial membrane antigen in the diagnosis of human tumors].

The paper discusses the possibility of the use of the Soviet-made ICO 25 monoclonal antibodies to membrane antigen of lipid globules of the human milk for differential diagnosis of human tumors. ICO 25 monoclonal antibodies reliably detected the above antigens in normal epithelial and breast cancer cells. However, these antigens cannot be considered strictly specific for breast tissue.

[An immunohistochemical study using monoclonal antibodies of the antigen of fat globule membranes in human milk].

Monoclonal antibodies (Mab) IKO-21 and IKO-25 obtained to the membrane antigen of the woman milk lipid globules were tested immuno- and cytochemically on the samples of human normal definitive and embryonal tissues and tumours. Mab IKO-21 are shown to react, apart from epithelial tissues, with a vascular endothelium and blood cells. Mab IKO-25 are specific to the epithelial tissue and malignant epithelial tumours.

[Results of the electron microscopic diagnosis of human tumors (an analysis of 1000 cases)].

A review of electron-microscopic diagnostic investigations made on biopsy specimens from 1000 patients showed the range of tumors requiring ultrastructural diagnosis to be fairly broad, encompassing virtually all major tumor sources including soft tissues (37% of the cases), epithelium (31.8%), hematopoietic organs (21.3%), pigment-forming tissues (4.

[Comparative electron microscopic study of cancer cell differentiation in the primary tumor and the metastases].

Comparative ultrastructural analysis of primary carcinomas of the lung, mammary gland, colon, stomach and some other sites and their metastases into the lymph nodes and inner organs is presented. It is established that the main ultrastructural specific features of differentiation typical for the cells of primary tumours are, as a rule, retained in their metastases to various organs and tissues. Carcinoma cells in the metastases repeat most frequently (81% of cases) the types of differentiation of a primary tumour.

[Morphology of dysplasia and small cancer of the breast].

The results of histological study of material from sectoral resection of 285 mammary glands (MG) from 265 patients with fibrocystic disease (FCD) are presented. 112 cases of a nonproliferative FCD and 173 cases with different variants and degree of proliferation and atypia of the duct and lobules epithelium are recorded. Slight proliferation is observed in 66 cases, mild in 43 cases, pronounced proliferation corresponding to the atypical hyperplasia according to the WHO classification of MG tumours (1981) is found in 30 cases; ductal and lobular carcinoma in situ is observed in 16 cases.

[Electron microscopic study of cellular differentiation in metastases of cancer of the large intestine in man].

A comparative ultrastructural study study of the stage and type of differentiation of cancer cells in the primary large intestine human adenocarcinoma and its metastases in the lymph nodes, ovaries, and greater omentum is described. Metastatic cells have been found to retain the features of specific differentiation and be represented by the same groups and main ultrastructural types as in the primary tumor. The main directions of cell differentiation in metastases and in the primary tumor were similar.