Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; classification ; metabolism ; pathology ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; classification ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nasopharynx ; pathology ; RNA, Viral ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; Viral Matrix Proteins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the clinicopathologic characteristics of thymic epithelial tumors and to evaluate the diagnostic reproducibility and clinical relevance of the 2004 WHO histologic classification system.

METHODSThe morphology and immunophenotype of 52 cases of thymic epithelial tumor were reviewed. The tumors were classified according to the new WHO classification system and the clinical data were analyzed.

RESULTSOf the 52 cases studied, 45 were thymomas and 7 were thymic carcinomas. Amongst the 45 cases of thymoma, 6 (13.4%) were type A, 15 (33.3%) were type AB, 4 (8.9%) were type B1, 9 (20.0%) were type B2, 9 (20.0%) were type B3 and 2 (4.4%) were metaplastic thymoma. Amongst the 7 cases of thymic carcinoma, 6 were squamous cell carcinomas and 1 was neuroendocrine carcinoma. The commonest presentations were cough and chest pain. Some cases were incidentally discovered by routine physical examination. Thirteen cases (25.0%) of thymoma were associated with myasthenia gravis. CT scan showed that 49 cases (94.2%) were located in the anterior mediastinum. All cases of type A, AB and B1 thymoma and most cases of B2 thymoma appeared as well-defined homogeneous mass, whereas a few cases of type B2 thymoma and most cases of type B3 thymoma and thymic carcinoma were poorly demarcated and heterogeneous. According to Masaoka staging system, 20 cases (41.7%) belonged to stage I, 15 cases (31.3%) stage II, 11 cases (22.9%) stage III and 2 cases (4.1%) stage IV. The histologic subtypes of thymic epithelial tumors significantly correlated with the clinical stages (chi(2) = 32.5, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe 2004 revision of WHO histologic classification system for thymic epithelial tumors shows a high degree of reproducibility. Correlation with the radiologic, clinical and prognostic parameters is helpful in determining the management strategy for individual patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; analysis ; Antigens, CD20 ; metabolism ; CD5 Antigens ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; classification ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; classification ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratins ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myasthenia Gravis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Retrospective Studies ; Thymoma ; classification ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; Thymus Neoplasms ; classification ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of application of cellular protein markers stained by immunocytochemistry in combination with ThinPrep bronchial brush cytology in classification of lung cancer subtypes.

METHODSRemaining bronchial brush cytology samples from 206 lung cancer patients with positive cytological diagnosis and 45 fine needle aspiration samples of resected lung carcinomas were collected. The expressions of CK10/13, CK7, CK18, CD56 and SYN in those samples were detected by immunocytochemistry (ICC) using corresponding antibodies.

RESULTSThe sensitivity and specificity of CK10/13 were 94.7% and 72.0%, respectively, in diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. The sensitivity and specificity of CK7 were 98.6% and 61.5%, and those of CK18 were 98.6% and 37.5%, respectively, in diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. The sensitivity and specificity of CD56 were 86.3% and 82.9%, and those of SYN were 81.6% and 93.5%, respectively, in diagnosis of small cell lung cancer. No significant difference was found in the expressions of CK10/13, CK7 and CK18 protein markers among differently differentiated lung squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas (P > 0.05). The classification rate of cytology in combination with ICC in differential diagnosis for 44 cases of unclassified lung cancer reached 90.0% for squamous cell carcinoma, 96.3% for adenocarcinoma, and 100.0% for small cell lung carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONApplication of cellular protein markers in combination with ThinPrep bronchial brush cytology is helpful to improve the differential diagnosis of lung cancer subtypes, and may become a supplementary diagnostic method in subclassification of lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Bronchi ; pathology ; Bronchoscopy ; CD56 Antigen ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Cytodiagnosis ; methods ; Cytological Techniques ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratin-13 ; metabolism ; Keratin-18 ; metabolism ; Keratin-7 ; metabolism ; Lung Neoplasms ; classification ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between activation of pro-MMP-2 and expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, MT1-MMP and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-2 mRNA in thymoma and thymic carcinoma; and to study the molecular mechanism of invasion and metastasis of thymic epithelial tumors.

METHODSFresh tissue specimens of thymoma, thymic carcinoma and normal thymus were included. The mRNA expression of MMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The pro-MMP-2 activation ratio and its localization were determined by gelatin zymography and film in-situ gelatin-Zymography, respectively. Correlation of mRNA expression of MMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 was investigated in tumors with different histological subtypes and clinical stages.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in the expressions of MMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 mRNA between I and II stage or III and IV stage thymomas (P > 0.05). However, significant differences of the expressions were observed between three tumor groups: I-II stage, III-IV stage and thymic carcinomas (P < 0.005), and between three histological subtypes: AB-B1 (lymphocyte-rich and mixed types), B2-B3 (cortical and predominantly polygonal cells types) and thymic carcinomas (P < 0.05). Expression levels of MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 mRNA were correlated with pro-MMP-2 activation ratio (Spearman rank correlation: r = 0.7235, r = 0.7647, P < 0.005). The expression of MMP-9 did not show significant differences between thymomas and thymic carcinomas.

CONCLUSIONSMMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 mRNA expression levels are correlated with the histologic subtypes and clinical stages of thymoma. The mRNA expressions of MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 are correlated with the activation ratio of pro-MMP-2. It is speculated that upregulation of MT1-MMP gene expression may induce an activation of pro-MMP-2 through TIMP-2.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; enzymology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Enzyme Activation ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Matrix Metalloproteinases, Membrane-Associated ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Thymoma ; classification ; enzymology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Thymus Gland ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Thymus Neoplasms ; classification ; enzymology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: The molecular pathology of cervical cancer associated with human papillomavirus infection is presently unclear. In an effort to clarify the multiple interactions of a number of genes involved in cervical carcinogenesis, the gene expression profiles and pathogenic cellular processes between human cervical squamous cell carcinoma and normal cervix were investigated by mRNA differential display and the Gene Ontology analysis. METHODS: Cervical cancer biopsies were obtained from patients at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Catholic University of Korea. The disease status was assigned according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. The squamous cell carcinoma tissue samples of 3 patients invasive cancer stage II (1), IV (2) were investigated by mRNA differential display. As a control, we used a common reference that was mixed with equal amount of RNA obtained from 17 normal cervix to obtain variation- independent control. Also, we constructed hierarchical functional structures using gene ontology. Then, the specific function groups were correlated with differential gene expression profiles. In addition, specific gene expression patterns in several tissue samples were investigated by using DDRT-PCR analysis. RESULTS: Differentially expressed 191 genes were identified in tumor samples. Of these genes, 128 were up-regulated and 63 were down-regulated above 1.5-fold. The gene expression profiles were classified into 46 mutually dependent function sets and organized into sub-function sets depending on the cervical cancer pathway, suggesting the potentially significant genes of unknown function affected by carcinogenesis pathway. The genes related to metabolism, signal transduction, and chaperon activity were significantly up-regulated. In contrast, significant down-regulations were shown in nucleic acid binding activity, tumor suppressor and structural activity. Reliable gene expression data shows the validation of profiling method for studying the cervical cancer-specific pathway. CONCLUSION: The specific functions assigned to each expressed gene were correlated with gene ontology for the establishment of a powerful cervical carcinogenesis pathway. The results suggest that the differentially regulated cellular process profiles have an important impact on discovery of pathogenic pathway in human cervical squamous cell carcinoma and provide the potentially significant genes of unknown function. Also, the gene ontology analysis can overcome the complexity of the expression profiles of mRNA differential display via a cellular process level approach. Thereby, a valuable prognostic candidate gene with real relevance to disease-specific pathogenesis can be found at the cellular process levels.
Biopsy ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cervix Uteri ; Classification* ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression* ; Gene Ontology* ; Gynecology ; Humans* ; Korea ; Metabolism ; Obstetrics ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Pathology, Molecular ; RNA ; Signal Transduction ; Transcriptome ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to play a key role in tumor angiogenesis. The tumor-suppressor gene p53 has been thought to regulate VEGF. We investigated the effect of VEGF on esophageal carcinoma and the correlation between VEGF and p53. Tissue samples were taken from 81 patients with esophageal carcinoma after surgery. VEGF and p53 expressions were examined by immunohistochemical staining. Microvessels in the tumor stained for CD34 antigen were also counted. VEGF and p53 expressions were observed in 51.3% (41/80) and 51.9% (41/79), respectively. The microvessel density was 70.9+/-6.7 (mean+/-SE) in VEGF-positive group and 68.7+/-5.1 in VEGF-negative group. However, no correlation was noted between VEGF and p53 expression. Whereas the tumor size, nodal status, depth of invasions, and tumor stage were associated with poor overall survival, VEGF expression or p53 expression was not. These results indicate that VEGF and p53 are highly expressed in esophageal carcinomas. Since the VEGF expression is not correlated with the p53 expression, microvessel density or clinicopathological findings, further studies with other angiogenic molecules are needed to determine the role in esophageal carcinomas.
Adult ; Aged ; Capillaries ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/classification/*metabolism/pathology ; Endothelial Growth Factors/*biosynthesis ; Esophageal Neoplasms/classification/*metabolism/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Lymphokines/*biosynthesis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; *Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/*biosynthesis ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors