Matrix metalloproteinases promote inflammation and fibrosis in asbestos-induced lung injury in mice.

Inhalation of asbestos fibers causes pulmonary inflammation and eventual pulmonary fibrosis (asbestosis). Although the underlying molecular events are poorly understood, protease/antiprotease and oxidant/antioxidant imbalances are believed to contribute to the disease. Implicated in other forms of pulmonary fibrosis, the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have not been examined in asbestosis.

Tumor suppressor gene allelic loss profiles of the variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTCa) is a relatively common, indolent tumor that usually has an excellent prognosis. While the diagnosis of conventional PTCa is relatively straightforward, encapsulated tumors with follicular growth pattern and unusual or incomplete cytologic features of papillary carcinoma can be diagnostically challenging. Encapsulated, noninvasive tumors are particularly controversial as the differential diagnosis includes a nonneoplastic nodule, a benign follicular adenoma, and papillary carcinoma.

Molecular genotyping of medullary thyroid carcinoma can predict tumor recurrence.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma can have an aggressive behavior, and little is known about the molecular basis for clinical outcome. Defining risk of recurrent or metastatic disease is difficult, and it has been limited to clinical and pathologic features, such as advanced age, cervical lymph node metastases, and stage at presentation. Using microdissection and genotyping, we studied 11 cases of medullary carcinoma for allelic losses in a panel of known tumor suppressor genes.

A microdissection and molecular genotyping assay to confirm the identity of tissue floaters in paraffin-embedded tissue blocks.

Context: A recurring problem in surgical pathology practice is specimen mix-up and floater contamination. While many cases can be resolved histologically, a significant number remain unclear and may have serious clinical and medicolegal implications.

Objectives: To design a microdissection and genotyping assay to identify contaminating floater tissues in paraffin-embedded tissues that is optimized for small samples, and to use the assay to resolve a series of clinical cases with floater tissues.

Microscopic papillary thyroid carcinoma compared with clinical carcinomas by loss of heterozygosity mutational profile.

The clinical significance of microscopic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTCa) is controversial. Many authors think that microscopic PTCa (<1 cm) have the same pathogenetic origin as clinically sized papillary carcinomas (>1 cm). Despite the fact that all clinical risk prognostication schemes have the size of the tumor as a primary category, small tumors do have malignant potential and can metastasize.