One case of hepatocellular carcinoma with sarcomatous changes is presented. Histologically, the tumor was composed of hepatocellular-carcinomatous and sarcomatous components, including trabecular, pseudoglandular, and spindle-shaped varieties. There was a transitional cell form between the carcinoma and sarcomatous cells. Immunohistochemical examination for alpha-feto protein reveals positive staining in hepatocellular carcinoma component, and vimentin had positive result in most spindle-shaped sarcomatous cells and some epithelial tumor cells, whereas cytokeratin and EMA(epithelial membrane antigen) revealed negative staining in tumor cells, On the basis of this findings, the possibility of sarcomatous transformation of hepatocellular carcinoma was discussed.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; Liver* ; Membranes ; Negative Staining ; Vimentin

Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; methods ; Negative Staining ; methods ; Viruses ; ultrastructure

Primary hepatoid carcinoma of the ovary (HCO) is a rare type of ovarian tumor that resembles hepatocellular carcinoma both histologically and immunohistochemically in its staining for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). We describe a 51-year-old woman who presented to our hospital complaining of abdominal pain. Computed tomography scan revealed a large tumor in the pelvis. She underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with tumorectomy. A right ovarian mass measuring 9x8x6 cm was found. Histological diagnosis was hepatoid carcinoma of the right ovary. But, immunohistochemically, tumor cells were not immunoreactive for AFP and there was no elevation of serum AFP level. This is the first report of an ovarian carcinoma with typical histologic features of HCO with negative staining for AFP and normal level of serum AFP in the world.
Abdominal Pain ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Negative Staining ; Ovary ; Pelvis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of phosphorylated AKT (pAKT) expression and radiation resistance in cervical cancer. METHODS: A retrospective review was made of the records of 25 women who received primary radiation therapy due to locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) with FIGO stage IIB-IVA. Nine patients regarded as radiation resistant developed local recurrences with a median progression free interval of 10 months. Sixteen patients did not show local recurrences, and were regarded as a radiation sensitive group. Using pretreatment paraffin-embedded tissues, we evaluated pAKT expression by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: A significant association was found between the level of pAKT expression and local recurrence. Immunohistochemical staining for pAKT was significantly more frequent in the radiation resistant than in the radiation sensitive group (p=0.007). The mean progression free survival (PFS) was 84 months for patients with pAKT negative staining (17 cases) and 44 months for patients with pAKT positive expression (8 cases)(p=0.015). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that signaling from PI3K/pAKT can lead to radiation resistance in LACC.
Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Negative Staining ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: CD44 is the principal cell surface receptor for hyaluronate and exists as multiple isoforms generated by the alternative splicing of up to 10 variant exons. Although certain isofroms may play a role in tumor progression and metastasis formation, the precise function and expression of the variant isoforms are less clear. Since on normal eccrine glands CD44 standard isoform(CD44s) is expressed only in eccrine coil secretory cells, it can be considered as a possible marker of this type of differentiation. However little is known about the expression of CD44 variant isofroms(CD44v) in eccrine gland tumors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of different CD44 isoforms(CD44s, CD44v4, CD44v6) in the eccrine gland tumors. METHODS: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from 2 cases of eccrine hidrocystoma, 5 cases of syringoma, 2 cases of eccrine poroma, 2 cases of syringofibroadenoma, 2 cases of nodular hidradenoma were immunolabelled with monoclonal antibody directed CD44s, CD44v4, and CD44v6. RESULTS: Except for syringofibroadenoma, the most tumors cells with eccrine ductal differentiation showed negative staining for CD44s, and positive staining for CD44v4 and CD44v6. Syringofibroadenoma exhibited positive staining for CD44s and CD44v4, but negative staining for CD44v6. Eccrine poroma showed negative staining for CD44s, positive staining for CD44v4, and variable intensity of staining for CD44v6 in different areas of the tumors. In case of nodular hidradenoma, small tubular lumina and clear cells were positive for CD44s. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that CD44 isoforms can not be a useful marker for an eccrine gland tumor with specific differentiation, but its characteristic pattern of distribution might reflect the variety of functional roles of CD44 isoforms in tumorigenesis of eccrine gland tumors.
Acrospiroma ; Alternative Splicing ; Carcinogenesis ; Eccrine Glands* ; Exons ; Hidrocystoma ; Negative Staining ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Poroma ; Protein Isoforms* ; Syringoma

We report a case of infantile digital fibromatosis in a 34 month-old boy, who presented with a painless subcutaneous tumor on the medial aspect of the left third toe. A histological examination showed scattered small, round eosinophilic inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells, which was consistent with infantile digital fibromatosis. A'immunohistochemical study revealed that desmin, a-smooth muscle actin, and vimentin were clearly positive in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells, but the inclusions themselves showed negative staining, thus indicating a hollow-like staining pattern. Electron microscopy showed either well-defined or ill-demarcated dense bodies in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells. In some areas, small vesicles and intracellular organells were observed' in the inclusions. In the course of conservative treatment, a new lesion developed on the lateral aspect of the left third toe, seven months after the appearance of the initial lesion.
Actins ; Cytoplasm ; Desmin ; Eosinophils ; Fibroma* ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron ; Negative Staining ; Toes ; Vimentin

OBJECTIVE: Cyclooxygenase-2, the inducible isoform of prostaglandin H synthesis, has been implicated in the growth and progression of a various human cancer. Although COX-2 overexpression has been observed in humangliomas, the prognostic or clinical relevance of this overexpression has rarely been investigated to date. METHODS: We examined COX-2 expression by immunohistochemistry in tumor specimens from 25 patients with low- and high grade astrocytomas and correlated the grade of COX-2 expression with patients survival. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining results were as follows: negative staining, N=4(16%), positive staining, N=21(84%). Results of low grade astrocytoma(N=10) were as follows: negative staining, N=3(30%), weak positivestaining, N=7(70%). Anaplastic astrocytomas(N=4) as follows: negative staining, N=1(25%), weak positivestaining, N=3(75%). Glioblastomas(N=11) as follows: negative staining, N=0(0%), weak positive staining, N=5(45%), strong positive staining, N=6(55%). As a group, tumors with higher rate of cell proliferation tended to have increased expression of COX-2. The percentage of COX-2 expression were associated with a worse survival rate(p=0.0028), and the grade of astrocytic tumors(p=0.001). These findings indicate that high COX-2 expression in tumor cell is associated with clinically more aggressive gliomas, and is a strong predictor of poor survival. CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence that COX-2 is up-regulated in the majority of high-grade gliomas and that increased COX-2 expression is a significant negative predictor of survival and selective COX-2 inhibitors may have a potential role as an adjuvant therapy of astrocytic tumors.
Astrocytoma ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; Cyclooxygenase 2* ; Glioma ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Negative Staining ; Prognosis*

Congenital hemangioma (CH), which is already fully formed at birth, is a rare clinical entity that is distinctly different from the common postnatally-occurring hemangioma of infancy (HOI). These two forms of CH have been described according to their clinical courses: apart from the clinical features of presentation at birth, there is the rapidly involuting congenital hemangioma (RICH) with rapid involution shortly after birth and the noninvoluting congenital hemangioma (NICH) with neither postnatal enlargement nor spontaneous involution. It is important to recognize this uncommon disease entity NICH in the early period because it has no tendency for spontaneous regression, so timely therapeutic intervention is needed, which is in contrast to that of HOI. We present 3 patients who were 1-, 3- and 13-year-old girls with red-stippled blue to blue gray vascular lesion. They all showed their lesions since birth and the lesions remained unchanged with no subjective symptoms. Doppler ultrasonography demonstrated a well-defined fast-flowed vascular lesion confined to the dermis and subcutis. The histology commonly showed lobular growth of capillaries, centrilobular irregular and often stellate vessels, extralobular large vessels and more conclusively, negative staining for GLUT-1, which is unlike HOI.
Adolescent ; Capillaries ; Dermis ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Iodine Compounds ; Negative Staining ; Parturition ; Ultrasonography, Doppler

HLA antigen expression can show close relationship with some kinds of tumor cell immunologically. We investigated the relationship between the grade of bladder transitional cell carcinoma and HLA-DR expression to demonstrate the prognostic significance. Paraffin-embedded samples from 25 human transitional cell carcinoma cases were examined for the expression of MHC class R antigen with monoclonal antibody directed against HLA-DR using immunohistochemical methods. The tumors were classified according to the Ash grading system and the degree of the peritumoral mononuclear infiltrates. Both diffuse cytoplasmic and membrane HLA-DR staining were observed in 6 or 17 low grade (Grade I, II) tumors. All 8 high grade (Grade II IV)transitional cell carcinoma exhibited negative staining for HLA-DR antigen. Apart from the relatively high incidence of the positive expression of HLA-DR in low grade tumors, no clear statistical relationship was found between the expression or HLA antigens and the tumor grade. From these results, it may be suggested that the low grade transitional cell carcinoma shows a high incidence of HLA-DR expression and prognostic significance induced by immune response; T cell-mediated immune response against TCC proliferation is evoked. But the significance of these findings remains speculative at present. Therefore, further study should be performed to demonstrate the prognostic importance of HLA-DR expression in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Cytoplasm ; HLA Antigens ; HLA-DR Antigens* ; Humans* ; Incidence ; Membranes ; Negative Staining ; Urinary Bladder

PURPOSE: To report a case of isolated subconjunctival juvenile xanthogranuloma invading the corneal limbus in a patient with neurofibromatosis. METHODS: A 2-year-old boy visited the hospital with a conjunctival yellow-brown, non-tender mass of the left eye, which had been found 2 months earlier. Anterior segment examination revealed a 9 x 7 mm-sized subconjunctival elevated mass with an ill-defined border, invading the supero-temporal limbus. Additional ophthalmic examinations did not show any abnormal findings. In the trunk and extremities, there were multiple soft nodules and brown macules. An excisional biopsy of the subconjunctival mass, histopathologic and immunohistochemical examinations were performed. RESULTS: The mass was adhered to the episcleral tissue, without scleral or conjunctival involvement. The histological examination showed a granulomatous lesion consisting of multiple lipid-laden macrophages and other inflammatory cells. The immunohistochemical study showed positive staining for CD68 and negative staining for S100 protein. The multiple soft nodules and brown macules in the trunk and extremities were identified as neurofibromas and caf -au-lait macules by a dermatologist, and the patient was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis. CONCLUSIONS: We report a rare case of subconjunctival juvenile xanthogranuloma involving the limbus, associated with neurofibromatosis.
Biopsy ; Child, Preschool ; Extremities ; Humans ; Limbus Corneae ; Macrophages ; Male ; Negative Staining ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Xanthogranuloma, Juvenile*