[Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the breast].

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) of the breast are specific tumor entities. According to the literature up to 5% of breast neoplasms are malignant epithelial neoplasms of the breast. They are defined by a neuroendocrine (NE) architecture and cytology combined with an expression of the neuroendocrine vesicle markers chromogranin A and/or synaptophysin.

[Development of lipoma following a single cupping massage - a case report].

Background: The cupping massage is a form of bloodless cupping. This type of cupping is particularly used to treat muscular tension and musculoskeletal pain, such as chronic neck pain; however the data records on mechanisms and potential side effects are not satisfactory.

Case Report: In a study on the effectiveness of cupping massage in patients with chronic neck pain, one patient showed a formation of a lipoma in the cupping area after the first treatment session.

Lewis(y) antigen (CD174) and apoptosis in gastric and colorectal carcinomas: correlations with clinical and prognostic parameters.

Lewis(y) (Le(y)), also designated CD174, represents a carbohydrate blood group antigen which is strongly expressed in neoplastic gastrointestinal tissues. Previous reports indicated an association between Le(y) expression and apoptosis. Therefore, we tried to elucidate its clinicopathological relevance in a series of 160 gastric and 215 colorectal carcinomas by immunohistochemical detection of Le(y) and visualization of apoptotic cells applying the in-situ-end labelling (ISEL) method, followed by semiquantitative scoring of the specimens.

Lymph node revealing solution in gastric carcinoma does not provide upstaging of the N-status.

Staging of gastric carcinoma depends on exact lymph node status. However, very small lymph nodes can easily be missed during routine examination as they are obscured by the surrounding adipose tissue. The purpose of the present study was to verify the usefulness of a lymph node revealing solution (LNRS) in gastric cancer and compare its accuracy concerning the detection of lymph node metastases to immunostaining with cytokeratin antibodies.

Altered apoptosis and cell cycling of mast cells in bone marrow lesions of patients with systemic mastocytosis.

Enhanced expression of the apoptosis-preventing protein bcl-xL and the cell cycle-regulating protein p21 was observed in bone marrow infiltrates of systemic mastocytosis. Expression of bcl-2, Ki67, and p53 as well as ISEL apoptosis staining were comparable in patients with mastocytosis and in controls. An altered rate of apoptosis and cell cycling may contribute to accumulation of mast cells in mastocytosis.

[Regression of oesophageal carcinomas after neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy: criteria of the histopathological evaluation].

Following surgical resection locally advanced oesophageal carcinomas exhibit a bad prognosis and therefore neoadjuvant therapeutic strategies were developed. Because success of therapy is associated with the extent of tumor regression in this context, the introduction of objective histopathological criteria seems to be very important. This study included 67 patients with oesophageal carcinomas (cT2-cT4 cNx cM0) that were treated with a cisplatin- and 5-fluorouracil-containing simultaneous radiochemotherapy.

[Diagnostic relevance of lymph node size after 2-field lymph node excision in esophagus carcinomas].

In 22 patients with thoracoabdominal esophagectomy and 2-field lymphadenectomy the lymph nodes (LN) were dissected according to a standardized protocol and classified in five groups regarding their size. 407 of 675 dissected LN (60.3%) were < 5 mm.

Expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in cutaneous and bone marrow lesions of mastocytosis.

Mastocytosis is a rare disease characterized by accumulation of mast cells in tissues. To investigate whether an altered regulation of mast cell apoptosis might be involved in the pathogenesis of mastocytosis, expression of the apoptosis-preventing molecules bcl-2 and bcl-xL was studied by immunohistochemistry in skin and bone marrow lesions of mastocytosis patients. In addition, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate levels of bcl-2 and bcl-xL mRNA in cutaneous mastocytosis lesions.

Comparative evaluation of the prognostic value of MUC1, MUC2, sialyl-Lewis(a) and sialyl-Lewis(x) antigens in colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Aims: The significance of MUC1, MUC2 and sialylated Lewis blood group antigens as prognostic markers in colorectal adenocarcinoma was investigated in a large series of patients because previous investigations revealed inconsistent results due to unrelated tumour samples from different patient groups and methodological differences.

Methods And Results: Tissues from 243 patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma were stained immunohistochemically. MUC1 showed a strong immunoreactivity (in more than 35% of the tumour area) in 32.

Topographical distribution of lymph node metastasis in adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction.

Background/aims: The current discussion concerning the extent of resection in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction is focused beside the luminal extent of resection primarily on the value of lymphadenectomy.

Methodology: In order to clarify whether spread of lymph node metastasis shows different pathways in adenocarcinomas of the gastroesophageal junction, a prospective, morphological study of the topographical distribution of lymph node metastasis was performed. Transthoracic en bloc esophagectomy with two-field lymphadenectomy (n = 13) or transhiatal esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy of the lower mediastinum and compartment I (lymph node No.

Differences between biopsy- or specimen-related Laurén and World Health Organization classification in gastric cancer.

The extent of stomach resection in gastric cancer depends on tumor size, tumor location, depth of invasion, and the histological allocation to intestinal or diffuse type according to Laurén. As the latter is based on preoperative findings we performed a retrospective histomorphological study to quantify the differences between biopsy-related and surgical specimen-related Laurén classification. Additionally the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of preoperative endoscopic biopsies and surgical specimens were compared.

Lesser curvature lymph node metastases with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: implications for gastroplasty.

The creation of a gastric tube after subtotal esophagectomy includes resection of the lesser curvature and abdominal lymph nodes. The fundus rotation gastroplasty has been recently proposed as an alternative technique of reconstruction that preserves the vascular arcade of the lesser curvature. This study investigates the number of resected and metastatic lymph nodes associated with abdominal lymphadenectomy to assess the oncologic radicality of fundus rotation gastroplasty.

Immunoreactivity of monoclonal antibody BW835 represents a marker of progression and prognosis in early gastric cancer.

The Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen is a well-known human pan-carcinoma antigen. It represents a carbohydrate core disaccharide (Gal beta 1-3GalNAc) which is predominantly bound to mucin peptide cores. Its immunoreactivity depends on changes in glycosylation which lead to a reduction in the carbohydrate chain length and the exposure of core carbohydrates.

p21/waf1/cip1 in gastric cancer: associations with histopathological subtypes, lymphonodal metastasis, prognosis and p53 status.

Background: Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases are determining factors of the cell cycle. In the present study, we investigated the role of p21 and p53 in the biology of gastric cancer, focusing on its influence on progression and prognosis (n = 195).

Methods: P21 and p53 immunoreactivity was analysed immunohistochemically, applying monoclonal antibodies.

Expression of mucin-associated carbohydrate core antigens in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

In contrast to gastrointestinal cancer, where a correlation between the expression of different mucin-associated core antigens with clinico-pathological parameters and survival probability, has been established, little is known about their importance in esophageal cancer. Therefore, we characterized esophageal squamous cell carcinomas from 84 patients immunohistochemically by applying monoclonal antibodies (mabs) directed against the Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen MUC1-bound TF antigen and sialyl-Tn. TF was observed in about 40% of the cases and MUC1-TF epitope in about 75%.

Histological grading in gastric cancer by Goseki classification: correlation with histopathological subtypes and prognosis.

Background: Many different classification systems have been proposed for the histological classification and grading of gastric cancer. In 1992 Goseki described a novel classification system for gastric cancer based on tubular differentiation and mucus in the cytoplasm. The aim of the study was to compare the Goseki classification with the currently used classification systems and to define the prognostic significance of the Goseki classification system.

Relevance and dynamics of myelofibrosis regarding hematopoietic reconstitution after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in chronic myelogenous leukemia--a single center experience on 160 patients.

A retrospective single center study was performed on 516 trephine biopsies derived from 160 patients with stable phase Ph+-CML and allogeneic BMT. Following morphometric quantification of reticulin-collagen fibers we tried to elucidate (1) the dynamics of bone marrow fibrosis in the post-transplant period; and (2) the influence of manifest myelofibrosis on relevant engraftment parameters. An evaluation of fiber density at standardized endpoints after BMT was carried out on a selected cohort of 124 patients (399 biopsy specimens).

Increased galectin-3 expression in gastric cancer: correlations with histopathological subtypes, galactosylated antigens and tumor cell proliferation.

Galectin-3 represents an endogenous galactoside-binding lectin which may be involved in tumor cell adhesion and proliferation. In order to evaluate its biological significance in human gastric cancer, we investigated its expression in the stomach of a large series of patients (n = 193) by immunohistochemical staining with the monoclonal antibody Mac-2. Compared to normal tissues, primary gastric adenocarcinomas showed a slight increase in galectin-3 expression.

Rounded atelectasis in a patient with history of asbestos exposure. A case report.

We report a case of a 68-year-old patient with a history of chronic asbestos exposure and a lung tumour, highly suspicious for bronchial carcinoma. The patient underwent left lower lobectomy and histology showed the rare diagnosis of rounded atelectasis. Rounded atelectasis is an important differential diagnosis to bronchial carcinoma.

Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen presents as a prognostic factor in colorectal carcinoma: A clinicopathologic study of 264 patients.

Background: Up to now, the expression of the tumor-associated Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen in colorectal carcinoma has not been thoroughly investigated with particular emphasis on its correlation with established clinicopathologic characteristics and classifications as well as its prognostic relevance.

Methods: Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded specimens from 264 patients with colorectal carcinoma were stained using an avidin-biotin complex-peroxidase assay. As primary monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), A78-G/A7, which binds to TFalpha and TFbeta antigen irrespective of its carrier, and BW835, which detects TFalpha on MUC1 repeat peptide, were applied.

Prognostic impact of p21/waf1/cip1 in colorectal cancer.

In addition to the tumor suppressor gene p53, Cyclin Dependent Kinases (CDK) are well known to influence the cell cycle in normal human tissues and various neoplasias as well. The purpose of our present study was to evaluate the expression of the CDK-inhibitor p21/waf1/cip1 in colorectal cancer with special emphasis on the prognostic impact. Between 1985 and 1991, 294 patients (median age, 65 years) underwent surgical operative therapy for colorectal cancer.

Bone marrow features and clinical findings in chronic myeloid leukemia--a comparative, multicenter, immunohistological and morphometric study on 614 patients.

A multicenter, immunohistochemical and morphometric study was performed on diagnostic pretreatment bone marrow biopsies in 614 adult patients with Ph1+ chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) to compare histological features with clinical findings. For identification of megakaryopoiesis we used the monoclonal antibody CD61 and additionally the PAS reaction to determine the subfraction of atypical micromegakaryocytes and precursors. Labelling of erythroid precursors was carried out by a monoclonal antibody directed against glycophorin C.

Immunoreactivity of Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen in human neoplasms: the importance of carrier-specific glycotope expression on MUC1.

On the basis of their known fine specificities we evaluated the immunohistochemical marker qualities of two monoclonal antibodies (mabs) defining the tumor-associated TF disaccharide Gal beta 1-3 GalNAc. This antigen is expressed in certain tumors in correlation with prognosis and metastasis. The reactivity of one of these mabs (A78-G/A7) depends on clustered TF disaccharides (glycosylation at vicinal Ser/Thr positions) while the other--mab BW835--has been characterized to bind specifically to TF disaccharide linked to a motif within the MUC1 repeat.

Lymph node size and metastatic infiltration in colon cancer.

Background: Detection of metastatic lymph nodes in colon cancer is essential for determining stage and adjuvant treatment modalities. Lymph node size has been used as one possible criterion for nodal metastasis. Although enlarged regional lymph nodes are generally interpreted as metastases, few data are available that correlate lymph node size with metastatic infiltration in colon cancer.

[Highly differentiated squamous epithelial carcinoma as a late complication of post-traumatic osteomyelitis].

Squamous cell carcinoma as a late complication of chronic osteomyelitis is a well known phenomenon in traumatology, often occurring as a consequence of bone fractures. The majority of cases are observed in men between 50 and 60 years of age. The time from onset of inflammatory bone disease to malignant transformation differs but usually takes 30 years.