Expression of CD44 in effusions of patients diagnosed with serous ovarian carcinoma – diagnostic and prognostic implications

CD44 is a family of cell adhesion molecules involved in a variety of cellular functions. The present study analysed the expression of two CD44 isoforms in serous effusions of patients diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma and corresponding primary and metastatic lesions. Fifty-eight effusions, 23 primary ovarian tumours, and 44 metastatic lesions were studied for protein expression of CD44s and v3-10 using immunohistochemistry. Results were correlated with clinical parameters. CD44v3-10 was seen in carcinoma cells in the majority of cases at all sites. Malignant effusions showed an up-regulation of CD44s compared to both primary tumours and metastatic solid lesions. Mesothelial cells frequently expressed CD44s, but were rarely immunoreactive for v3-10. CD44s immunoreactivity in cancer cells in effusions was significantly more often observed in patients with FIGO stage 3 than in stage 4 patients (P = 0.045). Staining results did not correlate with age, effusion site, metastatic site, tumour grade or residual tumour mass after initial surgery. Likewise, comparison of overall and disease-free survival with expression of the CD44 isoforms studied did not reveal any statistically significant associations. The up-regulation in CD44 levels in effusions, primarily in stage 3 disease, suggests that adhesion of ovarian carcinoma cells to mesothelium may be regulated at the level of CD44s expression, and provides further evidence of phenotypic alteration in the transition from primary tumour cell clones to effusions. The similar expression profile of CD44 in carcinoma cells in peritoneal and pleural effusions supports our previous observations and the hypothesis that carcinoma cells in peritoneal effusions are truly metastatic. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fine-needle aspiration cytology diagnosis of tuberculosis

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of lymph nodes and extranodal swellings in 160 cases showed granulomatous reaction with or without caseation necrosis in 83%. The material was acellular or predominantly composed of necrotic material, polymorphs, and lymphocytes in 17%. The age of the patient ranged from 1.5 to 72 yr. The male to female ratio was 1:1.3. Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) could be demonstrated in 40.6% of cases. In cases associated with cellular reaction and necrosis. AFB positivity was 50.0%, while it was 66.7% in cases with acellular necrotic material.     

胸腹水组织因子及组织因子途径抑制物的检测及其意义

目的研究三组疾病胸腹水组织因子(Tissue factor,TF)及组织因子途径抑制物(Tissue factor pathway inhibitor,TFPI)的表达及其鉴别诊断意义。方法TF和TFPI采用ELISA法测定抗原表达。结果胸腹水TF水平和TFPI水平,恶性肿瘤组(570.04±627.53)ng/L,(28.60±15.57)μg/L和结核病组(283.82±143.16)ng/L,(31.16±12.26)μg/L明显高于肝硬化组(60.83±66.87)ng/L,(7.84±5.45)μg/L,P<0.01。TF/TFPI比值则为恶性肿瘤组(32.17±44.19)明显高于结核病组(13.55±13.15)和肝硬化组(11.22±9.05,P<0.05)。在恶性肿瘤组中,胸腹水癌细胞阳性组的TF表达(1106.92±1244.28)ng/L高于阴性组(331.08±295.84)ng/L,P<0.05。而阳性组的TFPI水平(27.35±17.75)μg/L与阴性组(30.34±13.20)μg/L无明显差异(P>0.05)。TF/TFPI比值则为阳性组(59.59±65.10)明显高于阴性组(11.54±8.37,P<0.01)。结论检测胸腹水TF和TFPI并分析TF/TFPI比值可以作为临床实验室有鉴别诊断意义的辅助指标,同时还可了解疾病的某些病理机制,尤其是肿瘤的某些生物学行为。     

结核性淋巴结炎的组织细胞反应性增生变型

应用结核杆菌ＤＮＡ１２３ｂｐ特异性序列片段为靶序列的多聚酶链反应（Ｍ·ＴＢ－ＰＣＲ）技术、ＢＣＧ免疫组化（ＢＣＧ－ＩＨＣ）技术和抗酸染色（ＡＦ）方法，对３８例呈现组织细胞反应性增生－碎屑样坏死－嗜中性白细胞渗出病变的淋巴结石蜡包埋组织进行了分支杆菌／结核杆菌的回顾性检测。三种方法的综合阳性率为５２．６％（２０／３８例）。ＡＦ、ＢＣＧ－ＩＨＣ和Ｍ·ＴＢ－ＰＣＲ的各自阳性率分别为０．８％、２６．３％和５０％。研究结果表明：（１）在按本文标准选择的淋巴结“组织细胞反应性增生”病变中，有半数病例与结核杆菌的感染有关，即结核性淋巴结炎可呈现“组织细胞反应性增生”之类的变型；（２）ＰＣＲ技术在结核性淋巴结炎的病原学诊断上具有重要价值。     

结核分枝杆菌多抗原蛋白芯片对儿童结核病的诊断价值

目的探讨结核分枝杆菌（MTB）多抗原蛋白芯片对儿童结核病的诊断价值。方法选取2005年4月至2006年4月在首都医科大学附属北京儿童医院诊断为结核病的住院患儿作为结核病组。选取同期住院，患感染性疾病，同时除外结核病的患儿作为非结核病组；选取体检纯化蛋白衍生物（PPD）试验阳性，既往无结核病史，无明显结核中毒症状，胸部影像学及腹部B超检查未见结核病灶的儿童作为结核感染组；选取同期行健康体检，卡疤试验阳性，无基础疾病，无结核接触史的儿童为健康对照组。各组留取血清标本。计算结核病组PPD试验阳性率及细菌学检查阳性率。应用MTB多抗原蛋白芯片同时检测标本中脂阿拉伯甘露糖（LAM）、相对分子质量16000和38000蛋白IgG抗体，通过蛋白芯片阅读仪判断结果，其中任意1种或1种以上抗体检测阳性，即判为蛋白芯片检测阳性。分别计算各组抗体检测阳性率，并计算该方法检测儿童结核病的灵敏度、特异度、阳性预测值和阴性预测值等指标。应用Logistic回归及，检验分析蛋白芯片检测阳性率与患儿年龄、病程、抗结核治疗时间、激素使用以及结核病类型的关系。结果研究期间共纳入结核病组79例，非结核病组33例，结核感染组15例，健康对照组30例。蛋白芯片检测结核病组的阳性率为34．2％（27／79），低于PPD试验阳性率（84．8％，67／79），高于细菌学检查阳性率（12．7％，10／79）。在非结核病组阳性率为6．1％（2／33），结核感染组和健康对照组阳性率为0。蛋白芯片检测结核病组的灵敏度为34．2％，特异度为97．4％。阳性预测值93．1％，阴性预测值58．5％。Logistic回归发现蛋白芯片检测阳性率仅与病程相关，且随病程延长而阳性率升高。病程〈1个月，蛋白芯片检测阳性率为18．8％（6／32），病程在～3个月，蛋?     

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), EMMPRIN (extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK): Co-expression in metastatic serous ovarian carcinoma

Activation or suppression of intracellular signaling via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family has been linked to expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) in experimental models, but this association has not been demonstrated in clinical material. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible association between expression and activity of MMP, expression of the MMP inducer EMMPRIN, and the expression (level) and phosphorylation status (activity) of the extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) and high osmolarity glycerol response kinase (p38) in effusions from patients diagnosed with serous ovarian carcinoma. MAPK level and activity were studied in 55 effusions using immunoblotting. MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9 and EMMPRIN expression was studied using immunocytochemistry (ICC) and mRNA in situ hybridization (ISH). The gelatinolytic activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was measured by zymography. ERK and phospho-ERK (p-ERK) were detected in 54/55 (98%) and 50/55 (91%) specimens, respectively. JNK and p-JNK were detected in 53/55 (96%) and 38/55 (69%) specimens, respectively. p38 was expressed in 54/55 (98%) specimens, and its phosphorylated form was found in 51/55 (92%). MMP-2 mRNA expression (P=0.048), protein expression (P=0.046) and gelatinolytic activity (P=0.039) correlated with ERK phosphorylative activity. MMP-2 activity also correlated with p38 activity (P=0.017). MMP-9 protein expression correlated with phosphorylation of p38 (P=0.046), but enzyme activity showed inverse relationship with both p-ERK (P=0.05) and p-p38 (P=0.033) expression. EMMPRIN expression correlated with MMP-1 (P<0.001), MMP-2 (P=0.042) and MMP-9 (P=0.029) expression, as well as with ERK activity (P=0.001). Our results present the first evidence of a possible link between MAPK signaling and MMP expression and activity in vivo. These data may expand our understanding regarding the mechanisms by which MMP synthesis is regulated in effusions and possibly affect treatment strategies for this form of malignancy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Toll-like receptor 9 contributes to recognition of Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin by Flt3-ligand generated dendritic cells

Recognition of mycobacteria by the innate immune system is essential for the development of an adaptive immune response. Mycobacterial antigens stimulate antigen presenting cells (APCs) through distinct Toll-like receptors (TLRs) resulting in rapid activation of the innate immune system. The role of TLRs during infection with Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has been evaluated for TLR2 and TLR4 only. Surprisingly, despite the fact that immune stimulatory CpG-motifs have been originally derived from BCG, for the vaccine strain the role of TLR9 has not been addressed before. To identify the set of TLRs involved in the recognition of BCG, we infected bone marrow-derived macrophages and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (Flt3-ligand generated DCs) from TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR7, TLR9, MyD88 knockout, TLR2/4 and TLR2/4/9 multiple knockout mice. The degree of activation and stimulation was determined by TNFα, IL-6 and IL-12p40 ELISA. Activation of DCs was measured by surface expression of the costimulatory molecule CD86. We observed the most dramatic reduction of the inflammatory response for TLR2-deficient antigen presenting cells. Both macrophages and DCs produce markedly decreased amounts of TNFα and IL-6 in the absence of TLR2 whereas no significant reduction could be observed for TLR3, 4, 7, 9 single TLR-knockouts. However, IL-12 production in DCs appears not exclusively dependent on TLR2 and only in TLR2/4/9-deficient DCs BCG-induced IL-12 is reduced to background levels. Similarly, up-regulation of CD86 is abolished only in TLR2/4/9-deficient DCs supporting a role of TLR9 in the recognition of M. bovis BCG by murine dendritic cells.     

Ultrastructural histochemistry of mesotheliomas and adenocarcinomas in malignant effusions

The results of electron microscopic examination of cytologic specimens from six cases of mesothelioma and 10 cases of metastatic carcinoma of different origins are presented. The formation of cell clusters in malignant effusions from the two neoplasms has been thoroughly investigated: in mesotheliomas, cells had longer, more slender microvilli than in carcinomas and more abundant bundles of intermediate filaments; the central cavity often seen in the clusters frequently contained collagen and showed basement membrane production. The application of periodic acid-silver methenamine (PASM) and phosphotungstic acid (PTA) demonstrated a peculiar ultrastructural difference in cell coat staining in the two tumor types: in mesotheliomas, PTA and PASM were consistently negative along the outer surface of the cell aggregates, while carcinomas displayed a positive reaction either on the outer surface or on both inner and outer surfaces of the clusters. The diagnostic significance of the above-mentioned difference between the two neoplasms will require further investigation in a larger number of cases.     

肺癌患者的血浆、胸水纤溶活性及其临床意义

目的：研究纤溶活性在肺癌扩散中的影响。方法：检测29例肺癌患者、21例良性胸腔积液患者血浆、胸液中组织纤溶酶原激活物活性（t－PA）纤溶酶原活化抑制因子（PAI－1）活性。结果：肺癌组血浆、胸液中（t－PA)活性均明显高于对照组（P＜0．05）,而PAI－1活性则与对照组相似（P＞0．05）。结论：肺癌患者的纤溶失衡与其远处转移可能有一定关系。     

化疗联合乌体林斯治疗复治性肺结核30例短期疗效分析

目的：观察和分析乌体林斯在复治性肺结核治疗中疗效,促进结核病早期愈合,方法：采用随机分组法,将60例复治性肺结核分为乌体林斯治疗组（A组30例）和对照组（B组30例）,A组HLZE＋乌体林斯治疗3个月,B组HLZE治疗3个月,结果：治疗3个月后,A组痰涂片阳转阴率53％,痰菌培养阳转阴率56％,B组痰涂片阳转阴率21％,痰菌培养阳性阴率17％,痰菌转阴率A组显著高于B组。（P＜0．05）,A组X线病灶吸收率60％,B组病灶吸收率30％,A组显著高于B组（P＜0．05）,结论：乌体林斯能增强复治性肺结核患者抗痨药物的效果,有助于痰菌阴转,病灶吸收好转,疗效明显高于单用抗痨药物的患者。