Implication of mucus-secreting cells, acidophilic granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages in the resolution of skin inflammation caused by subcutaneous injection of λ/κ-carrageenin to gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) specimens.

To date, the mechanisms of inflammation have been poorly studied in fish of commercial interest, due to the lack of development of appropriate experimental models. The current study evaluated a local inflammation triggered by a polymeric carrageenin mixture (a mucopolysaccharide derived from the red seaweed Chondrus crispus) in the skin of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Fish were injected subcutaneously with phosphate-buffered saline (as control) or λ/κ-carrageenin (1%), and skin samples from the injection sites were collected 1.

Prognostic significance of CDX2 immunoexpression in poorly differentiated clusters of colorectal carcinoma.

CDX2 is a transcription factor that acts as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer (CRC). Its loss triggers metastatic process and tumor progression; however, its prognostic role in patients with CRC is still controversial. Poorly differentiated clusters (PDCs) are aggregates of neoplastic cells which likely have high metastatic potential in CRC.

Immunoreactions for P53 isoforms are associated with ultrastructural proliferative profiles in benign thyroid nodules.

Background: P53 isoforms originate from the alternative initiation of P53 gene translation through usage of an internal promoter located in intron 4. All P53 isoforms are spliced in intron 9 and may modulate cell proliferation and cell fate outcome in response to DNA damage.

Aim: To examine immunoexpression of P53 isoforms in benign proliferative lesions occurring in multinodular thyroids and to assess the ultrastructural phenotype of P53 distribution in the thyrocytes of those lesions by electron microscopy.

HOXB13 as an immunohistochemical marker of prostatic origin in metastatic tumors.

HOBX13 is a transcription factor expressed in the normal prostatic glands and overexpressed in prostate cancer. Recent studies suggested that HOXB13 represents a prostate-specific marker in the differential diagnosis between prostatic and urothelial carcinoma. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the diagnostic value of HOXB13 and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) immunoexpression for the detection of prostatic origin in metastatic tumours.

The density of microvessels positive for Wilms' tumour-1 protein (WT-1) is an independent predictor of recurrence risk in meningiomas.

Wilms' tumour-1 (WT-1) protein m-RNA was recently demonstrated in meningiomas, suggesting the potential application of WT-1 immunotherapy in these tumours. The aim of the present study was to analyze the immunohistochemical expression of WT-1 protein, its correlation with the clinico-pathological variables and association with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, in a series of 60 meningiomas of different histotype and histological grade. None of the cases expressed WT-1 in the neoplastic cells, while endothelial expression was evidenced in a variable number of tumour vessels in all the meningiomas.

p-CREB expression in human gliomas: potential use in the differential diagnosis between astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma.

Phosphorylated cyclic-AMP responsive element binding protein (p-CREB) is a transcription factor that is involved in gliomagenesis. For this reason, it was recently proposed as a potential therapeutic target in gliomas; however, gliomas comprise tumors with different biomolecular profile, clinical behavior, and response to chemotherapy. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether p-CREB expression varies in the 2 main types of gliomas, astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas.

Micropapillary pattern and poorly differentiated clusters represent the same biological phenomenon in colorectal cancer: a proposal for a change in terminology.

Objectives: Colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) with a micropapillary pattern and those showing high counts of poorly differentiated clusters (PDCs) are characterized by a higher probability to develop nodal metastases and have a worse prognosis. In light of the morphologic similarity to the micropapillary component, we aimed to verify whether PDCs also display an inverted secretory pattern.

Methods: The immunohistochemical expression of MUC1 and E-cadherin was assessed in a cohort of CRCs with PDCs and compared with that observed in CRCs without PDCs.

Immuno-expression of endoglin and smooth muscle actin in the vessels of brain metastases. Is there a rational for anti-angiogenic therapy?

Despite ongoing clinical trials, the efficacy of anti-angiogenic drugs for the treatment of brain metastases (BM) is still questionable. The lower response rate to anti-angiogenic therapy in the presence of BM than in metastatic disease involving other sites suggests that BM may be insensitive to these drugs, although the biological reasons underlining this phenomenon are still to be clarified. With the aim of assessing whether the targets of anti-angiogenic therapies are actually present in BM, in the present study, we analyzed the microvessel density (MVD), a measure of neo-angiogenesis, and the vascular phenotype (mature vs.

Expression of brachyury in hemangioblastoma: potential use in differential diagnosis.

Hemangioblastoma (HBL) accounts for up to 2.5% of all intracranial tumors. It may occur as a sporadic entity or as a part of Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.

Diagnostic value of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) immunoexpression in follicular-patterned lesions of the thyroid gland.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a protein which participates in iron trafficking and which is involved in cancerogenesis and cancer progression. Since its over-expression has been documented in thyroid malignancies in comparison to thyroid normal gland, in the present study, we aimed to determine whether the evaluation of NGAL immunoexpression may be of help in the differential diagnosis of follicular-patterned thyroid lesions. Our additional aim was to test the possible interference of endogenous biotin on the immunohistochemical findings.

Immunohistochemical assessment of lymphovascular invasion in stage I colorectal carcinoma: prognostic relevance and correlation with nodal micrometastases.

Several studies have suggested that the presence of occult nodal metastases (micrometastases) is related to adverse clinical course in stage I colorectal carcinoma. Herein we analyzed the correlation between nodal micrometastases and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) or lymphatic vessel density (LVD) in a series of stage I colorectal carcinomas; the cohort included cases characterized or not characterized by disease progression during the follow-up. In these cases, LVI and LVD were evidenced through the immunohistochemical detection of the specific marker for lymphatic vessels, D2-40.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) prognostic value in stage I colorectal carcinoma.

The expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been suggested to behave like a negative prognostic marker in stage I colorectal carcinoma. In the aim of clarifying whether its association with adverse outcome may descend from NGAL's ability to regulate matrix metallo-proteinase-9 (MMP-9), we analyzed the correlation, prognostic value, and association with neo-angiogenesis of NGAL and MMP-9 immunohistochemical expression in a series of stage I colorectal carcinomas. A variable NGAL immunoexpression was demonstrated in 17 of the 48 analyzed cases with a significantly higher frequency of positive cases among patients showing disease progression.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin immunoexpression in colorectal carcinoma: A stage-specific prognostic factor?

TNM post-surgical staging is considered to be one of the most powerful prognosticators for colorectal carcinoma. Although patient survival mostly decreases concomitantly to stage increase, in a percentage of cases TNM stage appears only to express the anatomic extent of the neoplasia with no correlation with clinical outcome. Thus, the identification of additional prognostic markers for colorectal cancer is required.

Stage I colorectal carcinoma: VEGF immunohistochemical expression, microvessel density, and their correlation with clinical outcome.

Tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage I colorectal cancer is commonly characterized by a good prognosis, with 5-year survival around 80-90%; nonetheless, it undergoes disease progression in a percentage of cases, although the causes of adverse clinical course still remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we analyzed and compared the immunohistochemical expression of the pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as well as the microvessel density (MVD) in a series of 27 surgically resected colorectal carcinomas obtained from patients deceased because of disease progression and in a cohort of 25 colorectal cancers from patients still alive with no evidence of disease progression 5 years after the initial diagnosis. The prognostic value of VEGF expression and of MVD on the overall survival to colorectal cancer was investigated.

Caveolin-1 expression in diffuse gliomas: correlation with the proliferation index, epidermal growth factor receptor, p53, and 1p/19q status.

Caveolin-1 (cav-1) has been proposed as an immunohistochemical marker able to distinguish astroglial from oligodendroglial tumors. In addition, it has been suggested that the reduction of caveolin-1 expression in glioblastoma cells increases their proliferative and invasive potential. Accordingly, the present study investigates caveolin-1 immunoexpression and correlation with the 1p/19q status, histologic grade, proliferation index, epidermal growth factor receptor, and p53 expression in a series of 73 diffuse gliomas.

Semaphorin3A immunohistochemical expression in human meningiomas: correlation with the microvessel density.

The immunoexpression of the antiangiogenic factor semaphorin3A (SEMA3A) was evaluated in a series of meningiomas. Then, its correlations with the microvessel density (MVD) of the tumors and with the clinicopathological parameters as well with the survival time or recurrence-free interval were investigated. A positive SEMA3A immunostaining was found in most of meningiomas and a significant association was found between a high expression of this protein and a low MVD of the tumors.

Endoglin (CD105) expression in the human heart throughout gestation: an immunohistochemical study.

Endoglin is an 180 KDa protein which plays an important role in the vascular system and cardiac embryogenesis. Indeed, monoallelic mutations in the endoglin gene are associated with the development of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia type 1; moreover endoglin knockout mice die precociously because of severe arteriovenous and cardiac malformations. In this study, endoglin immunohistochemical expression was analyzed in the heart of 23 fetuses (9-38 weeks), 5 of which displayed cardiac malformations, as well as in cardiac samples from 4 preterm and 1 term infants.

Correlative study of microvessel density and 5-lipoxygenase expression in human sporadic colorectal cancer.

Context: 5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) is an arachidonic acid- metabolizing enzyme, which has been demonstrated to exert a role in colorectal cancer tumorigenesis. Its activity in promoting neoangiogenesis in colorectal malignancies has been also recently theorized on the basis of in vitro studies.

Objective: To investigate whether any correlation existed between 5-LO immunoexpression amount and the quantity of neoangiogenesis, as reflected by microvessel density (MVD) in human sporadic surgically resected colorectal adenocarcinomas.

Endoglin (CD105) immuno-expression in human foetal and neonatal lungs.

Endoglin is a 180 KDa glycoprotein mainly expressed on endothelial cells of newly formed vessels. Its expression is increased by the hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), a potent stimulator of VEGF expression. The relative hypoxic environment in which foetal lung develops favours HIF-1 dependent gene expression, including the endoglin and VEGF ones.

Expression of NA/1 symporter (NIS) in endometrial mucosa of fertile, sterile and post-menopausal women.

The expression of the Na/I Symporter (NIS) in the basolateral cell membrane of the thyroid follicular cells is responsible for the active accumulation of iodide within the thyroid gland and for the subsequent biosynthesis of thyroid hormones. However, several tissues, such as salivary glands, breast, stomach, colon, ovary and endometrium, express NIS even if they are unable to organify iodide. In order to investigate a possible role of NIS in the endometrium, we analyzed, by immunochemistry, the expression of NIS in 44 endometrial samples of 20 patients with primary unexplained infertility, 14 fertile women and 10 in postmenopausal.

Acne inversa complicated by squamous cell carcinoma in association with diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma arising in the absence of predisposing factors: a case report.

Diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (DMPM) is a relatively rare neoplasm. Risk factors associated with its development include asbestos exposure, chronic irritation or inflammation of the peritoneum, abdominal radiotherapy, familial Mediterranean fever and simian virus 40. A familial segregation of this neoplasia has been reported in small villages of the Cappadocian region of Turkey, and it has been postulated that hereditary factors may predispose to mesothelioma, even with exposure to small amounts of asbestos.

5-Lipoxygenase is coexpressed with Cox-2 in sporadic colorectal cancer: a correlation with advanced stage.

Purpose: It has been extensively documented that the cyclooxygenase inducible form and 15-lipoxygenase are implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis. Nonetheless, the role of other enzymes involved in the arachidonic acid metabolism, such as 5-lipoxygenase, in colorectal neoplasms has not been fully ascertained. This study was designed to evaluate 5-lipoxygenase expression in sporadic colorectal adenocarcinomas by using immunohistochemistry and to analyze its potential correlations with clinicopathologic parameters and with cyclooxygenase-2 expression.

Density of microvessels positive for CD105 (endoglin) is related to prognosis in meningiomas.

Microvessel density (MVD) is considered to be a prognostic marker in many tumours. Nevertheless, conflicting results were achieved regarding its prognostic role in meningiomas when it was quantified through pan-endothelial markers such as CD34, CD31 or Factor VIII. In the present study, MVD was assessed in meningiomas through the specific marker for neo-angiogenesis CD105.

Expression of p53/HGF/c-met/STAT3 signal in fetuses with neural tube defects.

Neural tube defects (NTD) are morphogenetic alterations due to a defective closure of neural tube. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-met system plays a role in morphogenesis of nervous system, lung, and kidney. HGF/c-met morphogenetic effects are mediated by signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)3 and both HGF and c-met genes are regulated from p53.

Immunoexpression of multidrug-resistance protein 2 and cyclooxygenase 2 in medullary thyroid carcinomas.

Context: Chemoresistance is due to the expression of multidrug-resistance proteins (MRPs). Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), a key enzyme in prostaglandins synthesis, upregulates MRP1. MRP1 is overexpressed in medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTCs), but it is not involved in resistance to doxorubicin and cisplatin, which are commonly used in MTC treatment.