BACKGROUND: DNA hypermethylation is a common epigenetic finding in human cancers and is closely associated with transcriptional silencing. In the present study, we investigated the proportion of colorectal neoplasms that showed the adenoma-carcinoma progression and vimentin gene methylation. METHODS: Methylation status of the vimentin gene was examined in nontumoral mucosa, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas from 45 colorectal cancer patients who had adenoma and adenocarcinoma together. Methylation status was determined by bisulfite modification and the methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. The expression of the vimentin gene product was also examined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Promoter methylation of vimentin was detected in 80% (36 out of 45 cases) of adenocarcinomas, 82.2% (37 of 45) of adenomas, and 28.9% (13 of 45) of normal epithelia, and the difference between neoplastic and normal specimens was statistically significant (p < 0.001). However, no significant correlations were observed between methylation frequency and clinicopathologic variables. Immunohistochemically, vimentin expression was not observed in either normal epithelial cells or tumor cells. Protein expression and vimentin promoter methylation were not associated. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of aberrant methylation of the vimentin gene was high in colonic adenomas and adenocarcinomas. This result suggests that the methylation status of vimentin may be clinically beneficial in screening for colorectal cancer patients and may be helpful in clarifying colorectal cancer biology.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma ; Biology ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; DNA ; Epigenomics ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Methylation ; Mucous Membrane ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sulfites ; Vimentin

BACKGROUND: HPV-other samples are designated as being positive on HPV-PCR, but negative when using specific HPV hybridization probes. We wanted to determine the types on the HPV-other samples by performing sequencing, and to know the pathologic status of the uterine cervix according to the HPV type detected on sequencing. METHODS: For HPV genotying, we used the commercially available HPV DNA Chip test, which contains 15 types of high-risk HPV and 9 types of low-risk HPV. The HPV DNA sequencing was performed for the HPV-other samples of 209 patients who subsequently underwent cervical biopsy. RESULTS: For 204 of the 209 samples, the HPV types detected by sequencing were absent types at used HPV DNA chip. For the remaining 5 samples, sequencing was impossible due to mixed peaks. HPV-81 (19.6%), HPV-61 (18.6%), HPV-62 (16.7%) and HPV-84 (13.9%) were frequently detected. For the HPV-81, -62, -71, and -72 samples, most of the samples displayed normal or LSIL. However, HPV-84 and -61 were more associated with HSIL or worse, as compared to the other types. Conclusion: HPV-81, -61, -62 and -84 were frequently found on sequencing analysis of the HPV-other samples. The pathologic status was diverse, according to the HPV type detected on sequencing.
Biopsy ; Cervix Uteri ; Chimera ; DNA ; Female ; Humans ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Papillomaviridae ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Splenic metastasis from gynecologic tumors is extremely rare, especially in the absence of apparent disease at other sites. We report two patients that underwent splenectomy for a solitary splenic metastasis from uterine cervical carcinoma. In case 1, a 54-year-old woman with FIGO Stage IIb squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy developed a solitary splenic metastasis 10 months after initial treatment. In case 2, a 46-year-old woman with FIGO Stage IIb adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy was found to have a solitary splenic metastasis 11 months after treatment. Thus all abdominal organs including the spleen must be evaluated for metastases during follow-up of gynecologic tumors.
Female ; Humans ; Adenocarcinoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Claudin-7 has recently been suggested to be a distal nephron marker. We tested the possibility that expression of claudin-7 could be used as a marker of renal tumors originating from the distal nephron. We examined the immunohistochemical expression of claudin-7 and parvalbumin in 239 renal tumors, including 179 clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC)s, 29 papillary RCCs, 20 chromophobe RCCs, and 11 renal oncocytomas. In addition, the methylation specific-PCR (MSP) of claudin-7 was performed. Claudin-7 and parvalbumin immunostains were positive in 3.4%, 7.8% of clear cell RCCs, 34.5%, 31.0% of papillary RCCs, 95.0%, 80.0% of chromophobe RCCs, and 72.7%, 81.8% of renal oncocytomas, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of claudin-7 in diagnosing chromophobe RCC among subtypes of RCC were 95.0% and 92.3%. Those of parvalbumin were 80.0% and 88.9%. The expression pattern of claudin-7 was mostly diffuse in chromophobe RCC and was either focal or diffuse in oncocytoma. All of the cases examined in the MSP revealed the presence of unmethylated promoter of claudin-7 without regard to claudin-7 immunoreactivity. Hypermethylation of the promoter might not be the underlying mechanism for loss of its expression in RCC. Claudin-7 can be used as a useful diagnostic marker in diagnosing chromophobe RCC and oncocytoma.
Tumor Markers, Biological/metabolism ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Tissue Distribution ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Reproducibility of Results ; Nephrons/metabolism ; Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism ; Membrane Proteins/analysis/*metabolism ; Kidney Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*metabolism ; Humans ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/*diagnosis/*metabolism ; Adenoma, Oxyphilic/*diagnosis/*metabolism

BACKGROUND: While neurofibromas have generally been regarded as polyclonal hyperplastic lesions, it remains unclear whether the tumor is a true neoplasm or a hyperplastic lesion. METHODS: Determination of clonality by X chromosome inactivation pattern was investigated in twenty-one cases of neurofibroma employing enzyme digestion and PCR of the HUMARA gene. The histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural characteristics of the tumors were also examined. RESULTS: Immunohistochemically, most of the tumor cells showed vimentin and S-100 protein positivity. Axons were demonstrated by neurofilament protein positivity and were seen mainly at the periphery and rarely in the central portion of the tumor. Ultrastructurally, the tumors were composed of a variety of cell types: perineurial cells, Schwann cells, fibroblasts, and axons. X chromosome inactivation analysis was completed on thirteen out of fifteen cases in which DNA was successfully extracted. Of thirteen neurofibromas that were heterozygous at the HUMARA loci, eleven showed a polyclonal pattern. The remaining two cases were considered as indeterminate for clonality because of unequal band intensity and failure to obtain the normal control DNA. CONCLUSION: The results from this study suggest that neurofibromas are polyclonal in origin and might be a neoplastic lesion comprising non-neoplastic cells among constituent components.
Axons ; Digestion ; DNA ; Fibroblasts ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neurofibroma* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; S100 Proteins ; Schwann Cells ; Vimentin ; X Chromosome Inactivation

Mesoblastic nephroma is a benign neoplasm of the kidney, which is usually diagnosed during the first six months of life. Incidence in adults is exceedingly rare. We report herein a case of mesoblastic nephroma that occurred in the upper pole of the right kidney of a 39-year-old woman. It was a round mass measuring 3X3X2 cm in dimension. Microscopically, it consisted of uniform spindle cells with foci of hyalinization and dystrophic calcification. Tubular structures were entrapped in the tumor. Upon immunohistochemical staining, the spindle cells were found to be positive for smooth muscle actin, desmin, and vimentin. The epithelial cells of the entrapped tubules were positive for cytokeratin. On electron microscopic examination, the spindle cells demonstrated smooth muscle differentiation identified by indented nuclei, microfilaments beneath the cell membrane, dense bodies, and basal lamina-like materials.
Actin Cytoskeleton ; Actins ; Adult ; Cell Membrane ; Desmin ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Incidence ; Keratins ; Kidney ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nephroma, Mesoblastic* ; Vimentin

The second phase of this study was performed with the same procedures as the first phase, and the study population was limited to young recruits in the Army. After examination of 1028 normal eyegrounds, it became apparent that there are several definite and easily recognizable variations in the distribution of the vessels as they emerge from the optic nerve head. The classification is made by dividing the surface of the nerve head into four quadrants, Le., tbe upper and lower nasal and the upper and lower temporal. Since there are four main branches of the retinal artery, namely, the superior and inferior temporal and tbe superior and inferior nasal, there are nine possible variation in the distribution of these vessels over the surface of the optic nerve head.
Classification* ; Head ; Optic Disk* ; Retinal Artery*

A case of malignant melanoma occurres in the palpebral conjunctiva is presented. A 30 year old woman had dark brownish, strawberry-like pedunclated mass in her lower conjunctiva which was removed and confirmed as malignant melanoma by histopathology.
Adult ; Conjunctiva* ; Female ; Humans ; Melanoma*

In recent years, there appears to have been an increased incidence or recognition of sebaceous carcinomas of the ocular adnexa, which had been previously believed very rare. A 55-year-old male visited our hospital in April 1973 with a large lump in the right lower eyelid which had showed progressive enlargement of one year's duration. A biopsy was carried out and the histopathological examination revealed sebaceous carcinoma. He was treated with a total dosage of 6,000 rads of electron-beam by LINAC machine in October 1973, and the result was excellent.
Biopsy ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged

The authors analysed statistically 4,231 Cases of the ocular injuries among 19,204 Out-and Inpatients who visited to the local eye clinic at Young-Deong Po, where are many factories, from Jan. 1971 to Dec. 1971. The incidence of ocular injuries was increased about two times as much as that in 1964 at this eye clinic and was more prevalent than other places. It was shown that the incidence was exceedingly more prevalent in male than in female and iron piece was most freguent one among materials which caused trauma(64.7%). Most of the patients were improved well with proper early management of trauma. 6.6% resulted in blindness.
Blindness ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inpatients ; Iron ; Male