Blood concentration of laminin gamma2 chain in patients with head and neck cancer

Laminin gamma2 chain (LN gamma2), expressed in human cancer cells and correlated with cancer malignancy, is cleaved by proteases and secreted into circulation. We measured the blood concentration of LN gamma2 in patients with head and neck cancer by an immuno-fluorescence assay using monoclonal antibodies against human LN gamma2. The normal blood concen- showed normal LN gamma2 concentration less than 50 ng/ml and 20 (33%) increased concentration exceeding 50 ng/ml. The relative ratio of the number of patients who showed increased LN gamma2 concentration correlated with the clinical stages of cancer. The blood concentration of LN gamma2 in 24 who initially showed normal concentrations did not change after radical treatments. Five who initially showed increased LN gamma2 concentration showed decreased concentration of less than 50 ng/ml after radical treatment. Four showed increased LN gamma2 concentration after treatment, and presented residual cancer, which killed them. Three of the 4 patients showed marked increase in LN gamma2 concentration exceeding 100 ng/ml and developed multiple distant metastases to the lung, liver, bone, and skin. The blood concentration of LN gamma2 in patients with head and neck cancer may thus indicate the amount of highly malignant cancer cells expressing LN gamma2. The blood concentration of LN gamma2 could therefore serve as a new tumor marker that might indicate the malignancy of and efficacy of treatments for head and neck cancer.     

A case of an upper cervical bronchogenic cyst in an adult

We herein report a case of a rare cervical cystic lesion, namely a congenital bronchogenic cyst, which presented as an asymptomatic upper cervical mass in a 22-year-old female. Although cervical bronchogenic cysts are rare lesions in adults which are very difficult to accurately diagnose preoperatively, they deserve inclusion in the differential diagnosis of cervical cystic lesions.     

Laminin-α1-chain sequence Leu-Gln-Val-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ile-Arg (LQVQLSIR) enhances murine melanoma cell metastases

We earlier screened overlapping synthetic peptides from the globular domain of the laminin α1 chain to identify active sites for cell attachment. We report here that one of the active cell-adhesion peptides, AG-73 (Arg-Lys-Arg-Leu-Gln-Val-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ile-Arg-Thr; RKRLQVQLSIRT) causes B16-F10 murine melanoma cells to metastasize to the liver, a site not normally colonized by these cells. Increases in liver metastases and in lung colonization are observed in immune-deficient beige/nude/xid and in C57Bl/6 mice with this peptide. This metastatic activity was observed with i.v. and with i.p. peptide injections, regardless of tumor cell or of peptide-injection times. In vitro, the AG-73 peptide enhances tumor cell adhesion, migration, invasion, and gelatinase production, and blocks laminin-1-mediated cell migration. AG-73 was found to significantly inhibit cell adhesion to a proteolytic laminin-1 fragment, E3, containing the AG-73 sequence. Cell attachment to AG-73, the E3 fragment, and laminin-1 involved cation-dependent receptors. We report that a laminin peptide has the novel and unexpected activity of causing B16F10 melanoma cells, a lung selected cell line, to metastasize to the liver. The minimal active sequence of AG-73, LQVQLSIR, could be one of the most important biologically active sites of laminin-1, especially in promotion of the malignant phenotype. Activation of the malignant phenotype by this peptide provides a significant new model for understanding metastatic mechanisms. Int. J. Cancer 77:632–639, 1998.© 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

1 This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

     

A case of sebaceoma with extensive apocrine differentiation

Apocrine differentiation is a rare event in sebaceoma, and only 3 cases have been reported. We report a case of sebaceoma with extensive apocrine differentiation on the scalp in a 73-year-old Japanese woman. The resected tumor was located entirely within the dermis and subcutis as a well-circumscribed, lobulated, solid, and partially cystic mass, measuring 35 mm at the largest diameter. Histopathologically, it was composed of uniform basaloid cells with clusters of sebocytes, squamous islands of ductal structures, and apocrine cells with apparent decapitation secretion. Nuclear atypia of all types of cells was inconspicuous, and mitotic figures were infrequent. We considered the lesion to be a sebaceoma with apocrine differentiation.     

Clonidine-evoked selective P1-purinoceptor antagonism of contraction of guinea-pig urinary bladder

The effect of clonidine on P1- and P2-purinoceptors of guinea-pig urinary bladder was compared to that of alpha, beta-methylene ATP, a selective P2-purinoceptor desensitizer. After, alpha, beta-methylene ATP, 10 microM, vesical contraction produced by ATP was eliminated while that caused by acetylcholine was unaffected. Clonidine, however, failed to antagonize ATP-induced contraction of the segment even at 100 microM. Electrically evoked contraction of the bladder was partly attenuated by 0.3 microM atropine and the remainder was markedly reduced by 3-30 microM alpha, beta-methylene ATP, suggesting an important role of ATP as an excitatory transmitter in this tissue. This stimulus-evoked contraction was also suppressed by adenosine, a P1-purinoceptor agonist, in a concentration-dependent fashion, and the suppression was greatly antagonized by 50 microM clonidine. These results suggest that the antagonistic property of clonidine is substantially selective for presynaptic P1-purinoceptors in contrast with that of alpha, beta-methylene ATP for postsynaptic P2-purinoceptors.     

Maspin expression in stage I and II oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: A relatively high failure rate in the therapy of patients with early oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) is evidenced by untreated clinically negative neck lymph node metastasis. It is important to predict the malignant potential of oral tongue SCC in stage I and II patients, because the development of lymph node metastasis directly affects the prognosis of the patients. METHODS: We evaluated maspin expression immunohistochemically in patients with stage I and II oral tongue SCCs and determined whether the expression level may be a useful factor in predicting metastatic potential and prognosis of these SCCs. RESULTS: Clinical follow-up data showed a longer disease-free interval and overall survival periods for tumors immunohistochemically positive for maspin than for tumors negative for maspin, with the difference in disease-free interval being statistically significant (p =.01). The absence of maspin expression was found more frequently in cases of subsequent cervical lymph node metastasis than in cases without metastasis (p =.03). CONCLUSIONS: Decreased maspin expression may be a significant factor associated with the metastatic potential of stage I and II oral tongue SCCs.     

Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma of the neck; a case report and literature review

Follicular dendritic cell (FDC) sarcomas, also known as dendritic reticulum cell tumors, are uncommon neoplasms arising from antigen-presenting cells in B-lymphofollicles of nodal and extra-nodal sites. It is considered as an intermediate grade malignancy since it has significant recurrent and metastatic potential. We report a case of FDC sarcoma arising in the neck. A 56-year-old female presented with a left neck tumor. Neck dissection was performed. Microscopically, the tumor showed spindle-shaped stromal cells with large oval and polygonal nuclei. Immunohistologically, the cells were positive for CD21 and CD35, consistent with FDC sarcomas. Adjuvant chemotherapy of cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone (CHOP) was given. Literature review provides the current information for the diagnosis and treatment of this unusual tumor.     

Chemosensitivity testing of anticancer agents in head and neck tumors. I: Comparison between head and neck squamous cell cancers and thyroid cancers

In vitro chemosensitivity was evaluated in 28 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (12 pharyngeal cancers, 7 oral cavity cancers, 4 laryngeal cancers, 4 maxillary sinus cancers and 1 esophageal cancer) and 19 patients with thyroid cancer. Tumor fragments obtained at biopsy or surgery were exposed to anticancer drugs and assayed for succinate dehydrogenase (SD) activity. The average of SD activity in squamous cell carcinomas was 63.2% for 5-FU, 24.6% for HCFU, 26.1% for CDDP, 41.0% for ADM, 28.4% for THP-ADM, 27.1% for ACR, 27.4% for CQ and 45.3% for VLB. In thyroid cancers, the average SD activity was 73.9% for 5-FU, 16.7% for HCFU, 32.6% for CDDP, 48.3% for ADM, 38.3% for THP-ADM, 57.3% for ACR, 39.0% for CQ and 75.3% for VLB. The SD activity inhibition rate by anticancer drugs was larger in cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas than in cases of thyroid cancers except for HCFU. Higher sensitivity to each antitumor drug detected in cancer tissues from metastatic lymph-nodes than in tissues from primary lesions needs further investigation.     

Decreased CD44H expression in early-stage tongue carcinoma associates with late nodal metastases following interstitial brachytherapy

BACKGROUND: Late nodal metastases is a critical factor that worsens the prognosis of T1/T2N0 tongue cancer treated by interstitial brachytherapy. If we could better predict the patients at high risk for late nodal metastases developing before treatment, more appropriate choices of treatment could be selected. In recent studies of colon cancer, prostate cancer, and laryngeal cancer, CD44H has been postulated to be a metastasis suppressor. METHODS: On the basis of this phenomenon, we immunohistochemically evaluated the expression of CD44H in 38 cases of primary T1/T2N0 tongue cancer treated by interstitial brachytherapy. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens obtained before treatment were examined. RESULTS: The group that had late nodal metastases revealed a significantly lower (p =.0035) CD44H expression. CONCLUSIONS: A decreased CD44H expression may therefore be useful as a new predictor of late nodal metastases in patients with T1/T2N0 tongue carcinoma. For patients with a decreased CD44H expression, a partial glossectomy and an elective neck dissection may therefore be an appropriate treatment modality.