Osteopontin expression correlates with angiogenesis and survival in malignant astrocytoma.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a phosphorylated glycoprotein with diverse functions including angiogenesis, cancer development, invasion and metastasis. The aim of the study was to analyze the expression of OPN in human astrocytomas and to correlate it with angiogenesis and patients' outcome. Seventy-six human astrocytomas including eight pilocytic astrocytomas (grade I), 10 diffuse astrocytomas (grade II), 8 anaplastic astrocytomas (grade III) and 50 glioblastomas (grade IV) were immunohistochemically stained for OPN protein.

Distribution pattern of tenascin-C in glioblastoma: correlation with angiogenesis and tumor cell proliferation.

Tenascin-C (TN-C) is an extracellular matrix protein which participates in different processes like normal fetal development, wound healing, inflammation, keloids and rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, the immunostaining for TN-C is seen in the stroma of various malignant tumors as in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), however, the significance of these findings is still not clear. In this study 62 GBM samples were analyzed immunohistochemically for distribution patterns of TN-C and correlated with angiogenesis and tumor cell proliferation.

Endoglin is a better marker than CD31 in evaluation of angiogenesis in glioblastoma.

Aim: To compare endoglin (CD105) and the pan-endothelial marker CD31 in the assessment of angiogenesis in glioblastoma and to evaluate their values in the prognosis of this malignancy.

Methods: Forty-six cases of glioblastoma were included in this retrospective study. All cases were immunohistochemically stained for endoglin (CD105), CD31, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and MIB-1 (Ki67).

Massive edema of the ovary: a report of two cases due to lymphatic permeation by metastatic carcinoma from the uterine cervix.

Background: Massive ovarian edema (MOE) due to permeation of the ovarian lymphatics by metastatic carcinoma is rare, with a few cases reported to date.

Cases: We present two cases of MOE in patients with advanced carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Bilateral and unilateral MOEs in the first and second case, respectively, due to lymphatic permeation of the ovaries by metastatic squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma were found.