定量RT—PCR法检测乳腺癌前哨淋巴结CK19的研究

目的探讨定量RT—PCR法检测细胞角蛋白（CK19）在乳腺癌前哨淋巴结（SLN）中的表达，提高前哨淋巴结活检中微转移的检出率。方法采用常规病理检查法（HE染色）和定量RT—PCR法检测了40例乳腺癌患者SLN的CK19的表达量，同时选取10例来源于胃肠道的良性病变淋巴结作为定量RT—PCR检测的对照组。结果CK19在良性病变的淋巴结中没有表达。常规病理检查的敏感度为42．9％（9／21），假阴性为57．1％（12／21）．准确率为70．0％（28／40）。定量RT—PCR法检测出常规病理未检出的微小转移病例12例，敏感度为95．2％（20／21），假阴性为4．8％（1／21），准确率为97．5％（39／40）。结论前哨淋巴结活检可有效判断乳腺癌腋淋巴结转移状态，应用定量RT—PCR法检测CK19在SLN中的表达，可提高敏感度及准确率。     

子宫颈鳞状细胞癌淋巴结微转移的检测及意义

有无盆腔淋巴结转移是影响子宫颈癌预后的重要因素,也是选择术后治疗方案的依据。传统检查对切除的淋巴结只做HE切片,使部分淋巴结微转移漏诊,影响患者的临床分期、治疗及预后。微转移癌的存在是子宫颈癌常规HE染色淋巴结阴性患者出现复发的主要原因。我们采用免疫组织化学方法标记CK（AE1／AE3）、34βE12、EMA、CEA的表达来检测子宫颈鳞状细胞癌盆腔淋巴结的微转移癌,把两次HE切片均阴性、而免疫组织化学染色阳性的淋巴结定为微转移淋巴结,对比4种上皮性标记对微转移癌的敏感性和特异性,并对部分病例进行了随访,以期评价这些抗体在子宫颈鳞状细胞癌淋巴结微转移检测中的应用价值,探讨子宫颈鳞状细胞癌淋巴结微转移与各种临床病理因素之间的相关性。     

前哨淋巴结病理超分期检测肿瘤微转移在子宫颈癌中的应用

目的探讨前哨淋巴结(sentinel lymph node,SLN)活检和病理超分期技术在子宫颈癌中检测微转移的应用。方法收集子宫颈癌淋巴结组织标本51例行病理超分期检测:组织标本连续切片20张,厚度4μm;第3、8、13、18切片行免疫组化SP法染色检测CK(AE1/AE3),余行HE染色,镜下观察。结果 51例患者SLN经病理超分期检测,5例(9.8%)检出肿瘤转移,其中2例(3.9%)微转移,3例(5.9%)孤立的肿瘤细胞。随访至今尚无肿瘤复发。结论病理超分期技术可以检出常规HE染色可能漏检的肿瘤微转移灶; SLN活检旨在作为盆腔淋巴结切除的可能代替治疗方案,以避免过度治疗、减少术后并发症,提高患者术后生存质量。     

Nrf2在食管鳞癌组织中的表达及意义

目的:探讨Nrf2(Nuclear factor E2 p45-related factor2)在食管鳞癌组织中的表达及其与临床病理学特征的关系。方法:采用免疫组化SP法检测Nrf2在32例食管鳞癌,30例癌旁组织,21个阳性淋巴结和24个阴性淋巴结组织中的表达。结果:Nrf2阳性表达主要定位于细胞核中,在食管鳞癌中的阳性表达率为78.13%,显著高于癌旁组织(13.33%),淋巴结癌转移阳性组织中的表达率(66.67%)也显著高于淋巴结癌转移阴性组织中的表达水平(20.83%),均具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。Nrf2的阳性表达随淋巴结的转移度的增加而表达增加(P<0.05),但在不同年龄、性别、TNM分期、肿瘤分化程度及不同部位之间差异无统计学意义。结论:Nrf2在食管鳞癌中高表达,表达的高低与淋巴结转移与否及转移度有关。     

GSTPi在正常胰腺、慢性胰腺炎与胰腺癌中的表达及临床意义

GSTPi在多种恶性肿瘤中有较高表达,有人认为它是诊断癌肿的标志物,此外,它与癌肿对化疗耐药性有关,我们用免疫组化法检测36例胰腺导管癌,15例胰腺癌转移淋巴结,10例慢性胰腺炎和12例正常胰腺的GSTPi表达,结果表明:包括正常胰腺和慢性胰腺炎的非肿瘤组与肿瘤组的GSTPi单抗阳性染色率无明显差异(P>0.5);原发胰腺癌GSTPi阳性率显著高于相应淋巴结转移灶(P<0.01);经Kaplan-Meier曲线比较和log-rank检验结果显示:GSTPi染色阴性组胰腺癌预后优于阳性组,提示:GSTPi不能作为病理诊断胰腺癌的标志物,原发胰腺癌与相应淋巴结转移灶对化疗敏感性存在差异,GSTPi可作为判断胰腺癌术后预后参数之一。     

乳腺癌前哨淋巴结微转移分子检测及其临床意义

目的探讨乳腺癌前哨淋巴结(SLN)定位和SLN微转移检测的临床意义。方法对66例乳腺癌患者行术前Y探测仪SLN定位,用RTPCR法检测SLN中CK19mRNA的表达。同时与常规病检法比较其检测敏感性。并比较转移组、微转移组、无转移组患者的临床病理资料。结果SLN定位成功率为97%,RTPCR法与常规病检法转移的检出率相比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。在常规病检阴性的38例淋巴结中,RTPCR法检出8例有微转移。同时乳腺癌转移组与微转移组患者在肿物大小与淋巴管浸润上有相似性,而同无转移组差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论RTPCR法较常规病理检查更为敏感,通过SLN定位和RTPCR的联合使用,可明显提高乳腺癌SLN微转移的检出率。同时也证明RTPCR法是可靠的,SLN微转移有可能作为肿瘤预后的指标。     

子宫颈鳞癌中骨桥蛋白的表达及其临床意义

目的观察骨桥蛋白(osteopontin,OPN)在子宫颈鳞癌中的表达及其临床意义,评估OPN是否可以作为子宫颈鳞癌的诊断和预后标记。方法采用免疫组化SP法对88例子宫颈鳞癌及18例正常子宫颈组织中OPN进行检测,并复习相关文献。结果免疫组化染色结果示OPN在子宫颈鳞癌的阳性率为59.09%(52/88),在18例正常子宫颈组织均阴性。子宫颈鳞癌组OPN阳性表达与子宫颈鳞癌的淋巴结转移(P=0.030)和无病生存时间有关(P=0.029),与患者年龄、子宫颈鳞癌浸润的深度、FIGO分期(Ⅰ、Ⅱ期)及病理分级无关(P>0.05)。结论 OPN在子宫颈鳞癌的转移、发展过程中扮演着重要角色,在治疗过程中对其进行检测有助于对子宫颈鳞癌患者的预后进行评估。     

受体相互作用蛋白1RIP1在食管鳞癌的表达及意义

目的明确受体相互作用蛋白1 RIP1在人食管鳞癌组织中的表达及与临床病理因素、病人预后的关系。方法使用免疫组化SP法检测76例人食管鳞癌组织和相对应的癌旁正常食管黏膜中RIP1的表达状况,并分析与临床病理因素如病人的性别、年龄、肿瘤大小、浸润深度、临床分期、分级、有无淋巴结转移的关系,并进行了随访。结果76例食管鳞癌中RIP1阳性的病例有53例,占69.7%,癌旁组织RIP1阳性的只有19例,占25%,差异有统计学意义,RIP1的阳性表达与病人的性别、年龄、肿瘤大小无关,与浸润深度、临床分期、分级、有无淋巴结转移成正相关,随访结果表明:食管鳞癌中RIP1阳性率越高,病人生存期越短,预后越差,RIP1蛋白的表达是个预后不良的独立因素。结论 RIP1在食管鳞癌中表达增高,可能参与食管鳞癌的发生。     

子宫颈腺样基底细胞癌4例临床病理观察

目的探讨子宫颈腺样基底细胞癌的临床病理特征、诊断、鉴别诊断及预后特点,以提高对该病的认识及避免过度治疗。方法对4例子宫颈腺样基底细胞癌的临床及病理资料进行回顾性分析,运用常规HE、免疫组化EnVision法染色及原位杂交技术进行检测,并复习相关文献。结果 4例子宫颈腺样基底细胞癌患者年龄53~67岁,平均61.5岁,4例患者均行全子宫+双侧附件切除术。镜下见癌组织由形态单一、分化良好的基底样小细胞组成,排列成小巢状或条索状。癌巢周边见栅栏状排列的细胞核,部分癌巢中央形成囊性腔隙,也可见腺样或鳞状分化。4例患者均伴子宫颈上皮内病变(cervical intraepithelial neoplasia,CIN)。免疫表型:肿瘤细胞CK5/6、CK8/18、CK19、p16、p40、p53、BCL-2和p63均阳性,ER、CK7、CEA、CD117和S-100均阴性。原位杂交检测:HPV16/18阳性。4例患者随访19~62个月,均未见复发及转移。结论子宫颈腺样基底细胞癌属于罕见但预后较好的肿瘤,因预后不同,需与腺样囊性癌、基底样鳞状细胞癌、神经内分泌癌及腺鳞癌鉴别。治疗可选择全子宫切除术或宫颈锥切术,不推荐放、化疗。     

Cytokeratin 7 and cytokeratin 20 in primary urinary bladder carcinoma and matched lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND:-Cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and cytokeratin 20 (CK20) are 2 types of intermediate filament protein. Expression of CK7 is seen in the majority of primary urinary bladder carcinomas. CK20 is restricted to superficial and occasional intermediate cells of the normal urothelium of the bladder. Aberrant CK20 expression has been documented in urothelial carcinoma and has proved useful as an ancillary diagnostic aid for urinary bladder tumor. Our hypothesis is that the pattern of CK7 and CK20 expression in metastatic urothelial carcinoma duplicates the expression of the same markers in the primary tumors. Therefore, immunohistochemical staining of metastatic tumors for these 2 markers may be helpful for differential diagnosis in ambiguous metastatic tumor deposits. OBJECTIVE:-To determine the concordance of CK7 and CK20 expression in primary bladder urothelial carcinoma and the matched lymph node metastasis. DESIGN:-We studied 26 patients with lymph node metastases who underwent radical cystectomy and bilateral lymphadenectomy for bladder carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining for CK7 and CK20 was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues containing primary cancers and lymph node metastases. RESULTS:-In all cases, there was a concordant expression of CK20 in the primary cancer and its matched lymph node metastasis. Twelve cases (46%) showed positive CK20 immunoreactivity in the primary tumor and its matched lymph node metastases, whereas 14 cases (54%) were negative for CK20 in both the primary tumor and lymph node metastasis. All cases showed positive CK7 immunoreactivity in the primary cancers and matched lymph node metastases. CONCLUSIONS:-CK20 immunoreactivity is reliably observed in metastases from bladder cancer when the primary tumor expresses CK20.     

The value of cytokeratin immunohistochemistry in the evaluation of axillary sentinel lymph nodes in patients with lobular breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Cytokeratin immunohistochemistry (IHC) reveals a higher rate of occult lymph node metastases among lobular carcinomas than among ductal breast cancers. IHC is widely used but is seldom recommended for the evaluation of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients. Objective: To assess the value of cytokeratin IHC for the detection of metastases in sentinel lymph nodes of patients with invasive lobular carcinoma. METHODS: The value of IHC, the types of metastasis found by this method, and the involvement of non-sentinel lymph nodes were analysed in a multi-institutional cohort of 449 patients with lobular breast carcinoma, staged by sentinel lymph node biopsy and routine assessment of the sentinel lymph nodes by IHC when multilevel haematoxylin and eosin staining revealed no metastasis. RESULTS: 189 patients (42%) had some type of sentinel node involvement, the frequency of this increasing with increasing tumour size. IHC was needed for identification of 65 of these cases: 17 of 19 isolated tumour cells, 40 of 64 micrometastases, and 8 of 106 larger metastases were detected by this means. Non-sentinel-node involvement was noted in 66 of 161 cases undergoing axillary dissection. Although isolated tumour cells were not associated with further lymph node involvement, sentinel node positivity detected by IHC was associated with further nodal metastases in 12 of 50 cases (0.24), a proportion that is higher than previously reported for breast cancer in general. CONCLUSIONS: IHC is recommended for the evaluation of sentinel nodes from patients with lobular breast carcinoma, as the micrometastases or larger metastases demonstrated by this method are often associated with a further metastatic nodal load.     

The prognostic significance of immunohistochemically detected lymph node micrometastases in colorectal carcinoma

Micrometastases have been detected by immunocytochemical means in the lymph nodes of patients with otherwise node-negative cancer of the colon and rectum. This study examines the incidence and prognostic significance of nodal micrometastases in Dukes' B carcinoma. Five hundred and fifty-nine lymph nodes from 77 cases of Dukes' B carcinoma were examined for lymph node micrometastases by immunocytochemical staining for cytokeratin AE1:AE3. Micrometastases were detected in 19 cases (25 per cent). Cell clusters were present in ten cases, the remaining nine cases displaying only single cells. The presence of micrometastases was unrelated to age (P = 0·06), sex (P = 0·32), tumour site (P = 0·37), tumour size (P = 0·67), or tumour differentiation (P = 0·66). Ten-year survival estimates by the Kaplan–Meier lifetable method was 47 per cent in patients with and without micrometastases (χ² = 0·35 and 1 df, P = ns). The presence of nodal micrometastases detectable only by immunocytochemistry in patients with Dukes' B colorectal cancer does not justify reassignment to a more advanced disease stage.     

Correlation between expression of MMP-7 in gastric submucosal invasive carcinoma and lymph node micrometastasis

To clarify the mechanism of tumor metastasis, lymph nodes micrometastasis and expression of MMP-7, which is related to lymph node metastases, were investigated in 45 submucosal, invasive gastric carcinomas. Metastases to lymph nodes were detected in 12 of 45 cases(26.7%) by HE stain. In 13 of 45 cases (28.9%), only micrometastases were detected by immunostaining with anti-cytokeratin antibody. The incidence of micrometastases was higher in poorly-differentiated carcinoma than well-differentiated carcinoma. Expression of MMP-7 was higher in metastasis positive cases than in negative cases. In poorly-differentiated cases, expression of MMP-7 was associated with micrometastasis. In conclusion, expression of MMP-7 may play an important role not only in tumor metastasis but in micrometastasis to lymph node especially in poorly-differentiated cases.     

Expression of androgen, oestrogen alpha and beta, and progesterone receptors in the canine prostate: differences between normal, inflamed, hyperplastic and neoplastic glands

The aim of this study was to compare immunolabelling of cytological specimens with conventional staining in the detection of metastases in lymph nodes from dogs with carcinoma. Cytological touch imprints of 161 lymph nodes from 72 dogs, as well as 50 fine needle aspirates from 23 dogs, with malignant epithelial tumours were included in the study. Immunolabelling was performed with commercially available human antibodies. Touch imprints of all lymph nodes were labelled with broad spectrum anticytokeratins AE1/AE3 and KL1. In addition, lymph node touch imprints from dogs with primary tumours that reacted positively with the specific anticytokeratins CK7 (n=104) and CK20 (n=20) were also labelled with CK7 and CK20. Fine needle aspirates of 50 lymph nodes were examined by immunolabelling with AE1/AE3. "Reference investigations" with a combination of histological and immunohistochemical methods were performed on all lymph nodes. The immunocytological detection of lymph node metastases with the broad spectrum anti-cytokeratin AE1/AE3 in imprint smears resulted in a significant increase in sensitivity (0.99 vs 0.88 [conventional stain]) and in negative predictive value (0.99 vs 0.85) (P<0.01; t-test). Micrometastases in particular were detected more readily. Specificity (0.93 vs 0.88) and positive predictive value (0.95 vs 0.90) did not differ significantly between the two techniques. Immunolabelling with KL1 was associated with lower sensitivity and negative predictive value, indicating lack of cross-reactivity of this antibody with canine epithelial cells. In fine needle aspirates the detection of lymph node metastases, especially micrometastases, was more efficient by mean of immunolabelling with AE1/AE3 than by conventional staining. The study indicated the value of immunocytological labelling for the detection of metastases in cytological specimens of canine lymph node preparations.     

Prevalence of occult metastases in axillary sentinel lymph nodes of breast carcinoma

Recently, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has been accepted as a standard method of assessment of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients with no clinical lymphadenopathy. There is no standard pathologic method to evaluate sentinel lymph nodes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the frequency of occult lymph node metastasis in sentinel lymph nodes via serial sectioning and immunohistochemical study with cytokeratin and its relationship with other clinicopathologic factors. Paraffin-embedded blocks of axillary sentinel lymph nodes of breast cancer patients, biopsied in 2005-2009 and reported as negative, were reviewed with 3 μm sections, H and E staining and immunohistochemical study with an epithelial cytokeratin marker. Clinicopathologic data and relapse, if occurred was recorded and its relationship with occult metastasis was statistically analyzed. Sixty-eight sentinel pathology blocks of 66 patients (65 women and one man, median age 49 years) were investigated. Four cases (5.8%) of occult metastases were found, one by HE staining, and three cases with IHC (1 micrometastasis, 2 isolated tumor cells). Accuracy of reported cases was 94.1% upon re-examination. Sixty-four patients were followed after surgery and adjuvant therapy (range: 6-38 months, median: 21 months). No relapse was reported. There was no significant statistical relationship between occult metastasis and disease-free survival. Although 4 cases (5.8%) of sentinel lymph nodes were positive in the complementary study, with a median follow-up of 21 months, we found no difference in disease-free survival between these patients and others. To show a significant, however small, difference, one needs further research with a greater number of patients and longer follow-up.     

Multiparameter flow cytometry as a tool for the detection of micrometastatic tumour cells in the sentinel lymph node procedure of patients with breast cancer

AIM: To investigate whether multiparameter flow cytometry (MP-FCM) can be used for the detection of micrometastasis in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in breast cancer. METHODS: Formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded sentinel lymph nodes (n = 238) from 98 patients were analysed. For each lymph node, sections for haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for cytokeratin (MNF116) were cut at three levels with a distance of 500 microm. The intervening material was used for MP-FCM. Cells were immunostained with MNF116, followed by an incubation with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labelled goat antimouse immunoglobulin. DNA was stained using propidium iodide. From each lymph node 100,000 cells were analysed on the flow cytometer. RESULTS: Thirty eight of the 98 patients with breast carcinoma showed evidence of metastatic disease in the SLN by one ore more of the three methods. In 37 of 38 cases where metastatic cells were seen in the routine H&E and/or IHC, more than 1% cytokeratin positive cells were detected by MP-FCM. In 24 patients, metastatic foci were more than 2 mm (macrometastasis) and in 14 these foci were smaller than 2 mm (micrometastasis). In three of these 14 cases, MP-FCM revealed positive SLNs, although this was not seen at first glance in the H&E or IHC sections. After revision of the slides, one of these three remained negative. However, MP-FCM analysis of the cytokeratin positive cells showed an aneuploid DNA peak, which was almost identical to that of the primary breast tumour. Duplicate measurements, done in 41 cases, showed a 99% reproducibility. In five of 14 patients with micrometastasis, one or two metastatic foci were found in the non-SLN. However, in 15 of 24 macrometastases multiple non-SLNs were found to have metastatic tumour. All micrometastases except for the remaining negative one mentioned above showed only diploid tumour cells, despite the fact that their primary tumours contained both diploid and aneuploid tumour cells. In primary tumours with more than 60% aneuploid cells, predominantly aneuploid macrometastasis were found, whereas diploid primary tumours only showed diploid micrometastases or macrometastases in their SLN. Aneuploid SLN macrometastases were associated with non-SLN metastases in five of seven patients, whereas diploid cases showed additional non-SLN metastases in only seven of 16 patients. CONCLUSION: In all cases, MP-FCM was sufficient to detect micrometastatic tumour cells in a large volume of lymph node tissue from SLNs. In some cases it was superior to H&E and IHC staining. Approximately 30% of SLN micrometastases are accompanied by additional non-SLN metastases. The size of the aneuploid fraction (> 60%) in the primary tumour may influence the risk of having both SLN and non-SLN metastases.