Histology and histopathology Vol.24, nº6 (2009)
Ir a Estadísticas
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
- PublicationOpen AccessEmerging biological functions of the Vaccinia-Related Kinase (VRK) family(Murcia : F. Hernández, 2009) Klerkx, Elke P.F.; Lazo, Pedro A.; Askjaer, PeterThe Vaccinia-Related Kinases (VRKs) branched off early from the family of casein kinase (CK) I and compose a relatively uncharacterized family of the kinome. The VRKs were discovered due to their close sequence relation to the vaccinia virus B1R serine/threonine kinase. They were first described in phosphorylation of transcription factors that led to the discovery of an autoregulatory mechanism between VRK and the tumor suppressor transcription factor p53. The relevance of VRKs has broadened recently by introduction of its members as essential regulators in cell signaling, nuclear envelope dynamics, chromatin modifications, apoptosis and cellular stress response. Several phosphorylation substrates have been described, as well as the first positive and negative regulators of VRK. We provide an overview of the VRKs across species and discuss the wide diversity of cellular and organismal requirements for this kinase family.
- PublicationOpen AccessReceptor-binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells (RCAS1), a novel biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis of human neoplasia(Murcia : F. Hernández, 2009) Giaginis, constantinos; Giagini, Athina; Theocharis, Stamatios E.The receptor-binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells (RCAS1) is a novel tumorassociated antigen that induces cell-cycle arrest and/or apoptosis in RCAS1 receptor-bearing human cells. Current evidence has revealed enhanced RCAS1 expression in the tumor malignant stage of several organs, which may play a crucial role in tumor progression by enabling cancer cells to evade immune surveillance. In the last few years, tissue RCAS1 protein expression and circulating levels in biofluids have further been the focus of extensive research as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in several human malignancies. The present article aimed to review the available data so far concerning the clinical significance of RCAS1 in human neoplasia. Reviewing of English literature revealed that tissue RCAS1 expression was associated with important clinicopathological parameters for patients' management and prognosis, being considered as an informative biomarker in several types of human malignancy. In addition, the current evidence supported a crucial role for RCAS1 in tumor immune escape, which renders this receptor a promising target for future (gene) therapeutic approaches. However, the clinical application of circulating RCAS1 concentrations in biofluids as a marker in the management and prognosis of tumor malignancies needs to be further explored, since the data so far are still extremely limited.
- PublicationOpen AccessChronic carotid glomitis in heroin addiction(Murcia : F. Hernández, 2009) Porzionato, A.; Macchi, Verónica; Parenti, Anna; De Caro, RaffaelleThe aim of the present work was to investigate the occurrence and immunological characteristics of chronic carotid glomitis in opiate addicts. Carotid bodies were sampled at autopsy from 50 subjects who died of heroin intoxication (mean age 28 years), and from 16 young (24 years) and 10 older subjects (66 years) who died of trauma. Sections were stained with haematoxylin-eosin and azan-Mallory, and immunohistochemistry was carried out with anti-CD45, -CD3, -CD8, -CD4, -CD20, -CD68, -CD56. Inflammatory aggregates were not observed in young cases, but were found in 21/50 (42%) opiate cases and in 4/10 (40%) older cases. Infiltrates were mainly located in subcapsular and interlobular positions, and were also found around nerve fibres. Inflammatory aggregates were mainly composed of T suppressor/cytotoxic lymphocytes (50-80%). Monocytic/macrophagic cells and B lymphocytes comprised about 10% and 5-20% of inflammatory cells, respectively. T helper lymphocytes were fewer and only rare Natural Killer cells were found. Chronic carotid glomitis must be included among the autopsy findings of opiate addiction, and may be ascribed to inflammatory reactions to exogenous immunogens or to responses to drug-induced degenerative changes of carotid body components.
- PublicationOpen AccessPredictive values of clinical and pathological parameters for malignancy of gastrointestinal stromal tumors(Murcia : F. Hernández, 2009) Hou, Ying-Yong; Lu, Shao-Hua; Zhou, Yang; Xu, Jian-Fang; Ji, Yuan; Hou, Jun; Qi, Wei-Dong; Shi, Yuan; Tan, Yun-Shan; Zhu, Xiong-ZengGastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) possess a wide spectrum of biological properties, from indolent to highly aggressive. In this study, we evaluated a set of clinical and pathological parameters for their predicative values for malignancy of GISTs by retrospective reviews of tumor specimens and their relevant medical records from 840 patients. All GIST cases were first assigned as malignant if they met any of the following criteria: gross spreads, including liver metastassis and/or peritoneal dissemination, microscopic spreads, including lymph node metastasis, infiltrations to vascular, fat, nerve and muscularis mucosal tissues, or relapse. The remaining cases were recorded as biological behavior uncertain. This initial assignment revealed a set of five morphological features to be associated with malignancy. They were: mitotic counts greater than 10 per 50HPFs (P<0.0001), muscularis propria infiltration (P<0.0001), coagulative necrosis (P<0.0001), perivascular growth pattern (P=0.005), and severe nuclear atypia (P=0.014). Therefore, a new classification system, including criteria of 2 gross spreads, 5 microscopic spreads, and 5 histopathological parameters was developed. All the GIST cases were re-classified into a group of 485 malignant tumors, and a group of 355 nonmalignant tumors. Patient follow-up data revealed 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates as high as 99.3% and 100% for the nonmalignant group, but low rates of 43.9% and 59.7% for the malignant group. These results demonstrated a correlation of the new classification with clinical outcomes. Therefore, this set of 12 parameters has predictive values for malignancy of GISTs, and is potentially useful in the grading of the tumors.
- PublicationOpen AccessMicrovascular adaptive changes in experimental endogenous brain gliomas(Murcia : F. Hernández, 2009) Bulnes, Susana; Bilbao, Juan; Lafuente, José VicenteGlioma growth depends on microvascular adaptation and angiogenesis. Our study focused on the structural changes that occur in the microvasculature to adapt to glioma growth. Vascular morphology, morphometry and permeability studies were performed in induced rat gliomas. Tumours were identified by magnetic resonance imaging and histopathology. Blood brain barrier integrity was examined by EBA and GluT-1 immunostaining and correlated with vascular permeability for gadolinium and intravital dyes. VEGF165 immunoexpression was also analyzed. Tumours were grouped in microtumours (6.69±0.99 mm3) displaying a homogeneous T2-w hyperintense signal corresponding to low-grade gliomas, and macrotumours (900.79±332.39 mm3) showing gadolinium contrast enhancement, intravital dye extravasation and histopathological features of highgrade gliomas. Results show that the microvascular network becomes aberrant as we move from micro to macrotumours. Vessel density decreases, whereas the relative area occupied by the vascular network increases. Microtumours display homogeneous angioarchitecture composed of simple and mildly dilated vessels similar to normal tissue. Macrotumours show different patterns, following a gradient from the neoangiogenic border to the hypoxic core. The tumour core contains scarce, huge, dilated vessels with some profiles co-expressing GluT-1 and VEGF165, the peripheral tissue shows light dilated vessels co-expressing EBA and GluT-1, and the border area displays glomeruloid vessels strongly positive for VEGF. Glucose uptake was maintained for some vascular endothelial sections in areas where BBB function was lost. In conclusion, during development of gliomas the microvasculature becomes aberrant, undergoing a sequence of adaptive changes which involve the distribution and permeability of vessels. This explains the disturbances of blood flow and the increased permeability.
- «
- 1 (current)
- 2
- 3
- »