A solitary cutaneous myxoma, referred to as superficial angiomyxomas, is relatively uncommon benign myxoid soft tissue tumors. The lesion usually present on the head, neck, and trunk of adults as a slowly growing asymptomatic nodule. Herein, we describe a case of a pedunculated solitary cutaneous myxoma arising on the vertex of a 48-year-old man, but with no evidence of Carney syndrome. Histologically, the tumor was composed of vascular, mucinous matrix with a network of fine collagen and reticulin fibers, containing stellate and spindle-shaped fibroblasts. There was no evidence of malignancy
Adult ; Carney Complex ; Collagen ; Fibroblasts ; Head ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mucins ; Myxoma* ; Neck ; Reticulin

PURPOSE: Although varicose veins are common, the primary cause predisposing to venous reflux of great saphenous vein is controversial. We compared histologic features and expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMPs) in the great saphenous veins (GSVs) of normal and patients with varicose veins. METHOD: Ten normal proximal GSV and each twenty diseased proximal, mid, and distal above-knee GSV vein segments were used for this analysis. We compared venous architecture with histology and expression and localization of MMP and TIMP with immunohistochemistry. RESULT: Compared with normal veins, varicose veins showed thickening and disorganization of intimal and medial connective tissue elements. Elastic fibers of varicose vein were fragmented and degenerated. By the immunohistochemistry, MMP-1 and MMP-2 were more strongly expressed than MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 either normal and varicose veins. MMPs were localized to endothelial cells, medial connective tissues and adventitial microvessels in normal veins. Whereas they were more diffusely localized to subintimal and medial connective tissues in varicose veins. Compared with proximal varicose veins, TIMP-2 was more significantly expressed in distal varicose veins. CONCLUSION: In varicose veins, vein wall architectures are disorganized and MMPs are more prominently expressed in these degenerative subintimal and medial areas.
Connective Tissue ; Elastic Tissue ; Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Matrix Metalloproteinases* ; Microvessels ; Saphenous Vein* ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 ; Varicose Veins* ; Veins

OBJECTIVE: Promoter methylation of Bcl-2 family genes in cancer cells were studied to verify possible correlation between DNA methylation pattern of Bcl-2 family members and cancer. METHODS: The genomic DNAs were extracted from different cancer cell lines, HeLa, CaSki and K562, and ovarian cancer tissue from patients. The cytosine residues were converted to uracil by sodium bisulfite treatment. MSP (methylation specific PCR) was performed to determine the methylation status of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Noxa, and Harakiri promoters. Using primers that distinguish methylated DNA from unmethylated DNA after bisulfite modification of DNA, MSP was conducted to observe the methylation pattern of Bcl-2 family genes in different cancer cells. RESULTS: The promoter regions of Bcl-2 family genes including Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and Noxa were not methylated in cancer cells, whereas the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family gene Harakiri was detected as methylated in the cancer cell lines and hypomethylated in the ovarian cancer tissue. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated the differential methylation profiles of Bcl-2 family genes in cancerous cells, which suggests a possible connection between the methylation pattern of some of Bcl-2 family genes and ovarian cancer.
Cell Line ; Cytosine ; DNA Methylation* ; DNA* ; Humans ; Methylation ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Sodium ; Uracil