A case report of cutaneous melanocytoma with CRTC1‐TRIM11 fusion: Is CMCT distinct from clear cell sarcoma of soft tissue?

Pathological diagnosis of dermal melanocytic tumors is often problematic owing to histological resemblance. Recently, cutaneous melanocytoma with CRTC1‐TRIM11 (CMCT) was added to this category. However, only six cases have been reported so far. We herein present a case of a 77‐year‐old Japanese man with CMCT. The patient presented a nodule in the right thigh and underwent surgical resection. Histological examination indicated a well‐demarcated 6 × 5 mm‐sized tumor nodule in the dermis and subcutis. The tumor was amelanotic, consisting of uniform nests and fascicles of spindled, or epithelioid cells. The melanocytic nature was evident by immunohistochemistry. The CRTC1‐TRIM11 fusion was detected by TRIM11 immunostaining, chromogenic in situ hybridization, and RT‐PCR/direct sequencing. He has been free from the tumor for 1 year after additional resection. The main differential diagnosis of CMCT includes primary and metastatic dermal malignant melanomas (MM) and dermal/subcutaneous clear cell sarcoma (CCS). Additionally, histological overlap with paraganglioma‐like dermal melanocytic tumor was considered. Although some investigators argue that CMCT is a variant of CCS, we think it should be separated from CCS, and subcutaneous/dermal CCS should be confined to tumors with EWSR1‐ATF1/ CREB1 fusion. However, longer follow‐up and more case studies are needed for revealing the true prognosis of CMCT.     

Immunolocalization of VEGF/VEGFR system in human fetal vomeronasal organ during early development

The vomeronasal system (VNS) is an accessory olfactory structure present in most mammals adhibited to the detection of specific chemosignals implied in social and reproductive behavior. The VNS comprises the vomeronasal organ (VNO), vomeronasal nerve and accessory olfactory bulb. VNO is characterized by a neuroepithelium constituted by bipolar neurons and supporting and stem/progenitor cells. In humans, VNO is present during fetal life and is supposed to possess chemoreceptor activity and participate in gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal precursor migration toward the hypothalamus. Instead, the existence and functions of VNO in postnatal life is debated. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors (VEGFRs) have been demonstrated to play fundamental roles in various neurogenic events. However, there are no data regarding the localization and possible function of VEGF/VEGFRs in human fetal VNO. Therefore, this study was conceived to investigate the expression of VEGF/VEGFRs in human VNO in an early developmental period (9–12 weeks of gestation), when this organ appears well structured. Coronal sections of maxillofacial specimens were subjected to peroxidase-based immunohistochemistry for VEGF, VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2. Double immunofluorescence for VEGF, VEGFR-1 or VEGFR-2 and the neuronal marker protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) was also performed. VEGF expression was evident in the entire VNO epithelium, with particularly strong reactivity in the middle layer. Strongly VEGF-immunostained cells with aspect similar to bipolar neurons and/or their presumable precursors were detected in the middle and basal layers. Cells detaching from the basal epithelial layer and detached cell groups in the surrounding lamina propria showed moderate/strong VEGF expression. The strongest VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 expression was detected in the apical epithelial layer. Cells with aspect similar to bipolar neurons and/or their presumable precursors located in the middle and basal layers and the detaching/detached cells displayed a VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 reactivity similar to that of VEGF. The basal epithelial layer exhibited stronger staining for VEGFRs than for VEGF. Cells with morphology and VEGF/VEGFR expression similar to those of the detaching/detached cells were also detected in the middle and basal VNO epithelial layers. Double immunofluorescence using anti-PGP 9.5 antibodies demonstrated that most of the VEGF/VEGFR-immunoreactive cells were neuronal cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that during early fetal development the VEGF/VEGFR system might be involved in the presumptive VNO chemoreceptor activity and neuronal precursor migration.     

Mis-splicing in breast cancer: identification of pathogenic BRCA2 variants by systematic minigene assays

This commentary addresses the issue of the classification of sarcomas in the article written by Watson and colleagues published recently in this journal. The article delves into the molecular characterization and distinct phenotypes of some recently described entities (e.g. BCOR-rearranged sarcomas, CIC-fused sarcomas) and describes new groups with common characteristics. This commentary focuses on several questions raised in the article, such as what makes a group of sarcomas become a clinical entity, which should be the main driver of sarcoma classification, how the classification of small round cell sarcomas is expected to evolve and how high-throughput techniques could be applied to sarcoma diagnosis in the short term. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Y染色体AZF微缺失在男性不育患者中的临床研究

目的研究男性不育患者的Y染色体AZF微缺失情况,分析Y染色体AZF微缺失与性激素水平及男性不育之间的关系。方法选取医院2017年1月至2018年7月收治的120例男性不育患者(其中包含98例非梗阻无精子症患者和22例严重少精症患者),和40例同期体检精液参数正常的体检人员作为研究对象,分别设为A组、B组和对照组,对比分析3组受试者的Y染色体AZF微缺失情况以及性激素指标水平。结果120例男性不育患者中共检出16例Y染色体AZF微缺失,A组的缺失率为14.29%,B组为9.09%,对照组未发现缺失,A组的缺失率显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。16例Y染色体AZF微缺失的患者中,共包含12个位点缺失,其中单纯AZFb型、AZFb+c型、AZFc+d型和AZFb+c+d型分别3例、2例、10例和1例;3组的睾酮水平无明显差别(P>0.05),A组的黄体生成素和促卵泡生成素水平显著高于对照组(P<0.05);AZFb+c+d型基因缺失患者的FSH指标水平显著高于无AZF基因缺失和AZFb型、AZFb+c型、AZFc+d型缺失患者(P<0.05)。结论Y染色体AZF基因微缺失可能是影响非梗阻性无精子症的重要因素之一,男性不育症患者的Y染色体AZF微缺失与患者的FSH水平具有密切关系,在临床诊治中,Y染色体AZF基因检测能够为男性不育症诊断提供更加科学的依据。