1,721,048 research outputs found

    Apoptosis in prostatic adenocarcinoma following complete androgen ablation.

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    OBJECTIVE: To analyze the cell death phenomenon in prostate cancer following complete androgen ablation. METHODS: The frequency and location of apoptotic bodies (ABs) were evaluated in haematoxylin and eosin stained sections of radical prostatectomy specimens from patients with invasive prostatic adenocarcinoma treated with neo-adjuvant endocrine combination therapy for 3 months before surgery. The results were compared with an untreated age- and stage-matched control group. RESULTS: Both in treated and untreated prostate tissue the AB frequency increased from normal prostate, through prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, up to prostatic adenocarcinoma. The main location was in the cell layers adjacent to the stroma, their frequency decreasing towards the lumen. The frequency of ABs was higher in the treated prostate glands than in the untreated groups. The relative increase of the AB frequency in treated carcinomas as compared with untreated ones was lowest in tumours with a solid pattern, intermediate in the cribriform, and highest in the acinar pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Complete androgen ablation induces involution of prostate tissue mainly through the enhancement of apoptosis. This type of cell death is thought to play a major role and might be linked to specific changes in signal transduction mechanisms in response to hormonal withdrawal

    Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) evaluation in the diagnostic quantitative pathology of cribriform adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

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    The aim of this study was to emphasise the importance of the measurement sites in tumours from the biological point of view. In particular, two distinct aspects regarding locations were investigated for Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) expression in the cribriform adenocarcinoma of the prostate as an example. The first aspect was the identification of the most suitable part of the tumour nodule to be analysed, that is, periphery or marginal zone vs central. The second aspect consisted of the precise location of the objects in relation to the histologic pattern and its components, such as the different cell layers in the cribriform pattern. The results obtained showed that the proportion of PCNA-immunostained nuclei in the marginal zone of the tumour decreased from the basal position, or adjacent to the stroma, towards the lumen: 14.40% (standard error, SE, 0.61%) in the basal position, 11.84% (SE 1.30%) in the intermediate and 9.26% (SE 0.66%) in the lumenal position. In the central zone of the tumour the trend of value changes was similar to that obtained in the marginal zone. However, the proportions were lower and the differences statistically significant. In conclusion, the degree of PCNA expression is related to both locations. Thus, adequate information on the biology of the lesions can only be obtained when the precise site of the objects to be evaluated is identified. Otherwise, misleading results about the lesions being measured can be derived

    Quantitative Characterization of the Frequency and Location of Cell-proliferation and Death In Prostate Pathology.

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    This paper evaluates the use of quantitative methods to accurately assess cell proliferation and death in untreated and treated prostate lesions. The analysis of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-stained nuclei allow precise evaluation of the proliferating cells and exact identification of their location in the progression of untreated prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) to prostatic adenocarcinoma (PAC). The evaluation of the frequency and location of apoptotic bodies (ABs) gives accurate information on the apoptotic phenomenon in PIN compared to normal prostate (NP) and PAC. In fact, the frequency of ABs increases from NP to PIN to PAC and parallels that observed with PCNA. However, the AB-related values were approximately one-eighth to one-tenth of those obtained with PCNA immunostaining. Combination endocrine therapy (CET) decreases the proliferative activity and enhances the apoptosis phenomenon in NP, PIN, and PAC. This might indicate that CET could induce a certain degree of regression not only of PAC, but also of PIN

    Quantitative-evaluation of Nucleolar Features On Cytologic Material In Brain-tumor Diagnosis.

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    Nucleolar-related features were quantified in toluidin blue-stained smears from 36 brain tumors in order to improve our knowledge of the nucleolar frequency, size and margination. It was observed that low-grade astrocytic tumors had high percentages of nucleolated cells but the nucleoli were mostly single with maximum nucleolar diameter smaller than 2.00 microns. The percentages of marginated nucleoli were also low, ranging between 3.00% and 30.00% (only one case had a higher percentage). The high-grade tumors, i.e. anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastomas, did not significantly differ from low-grade astrocytomas in their percentages of nucleolated nuclei, but they showed a higher number of nuclei having three or more nucleoli and the mean nucleolar diameter was in general bigger than 2.00 microns. Glioblastomas had marginated nucleoli much more frequently than anaplastic astrocytomas, the percentage in all but one case being higher than 30.00%. The percentage of marginated nucleoli was much higher in glioblastomas than in metastases, while the nucleoli were bigger in the latter group. A wide range of values for most of the nucleolar-associated parameters was observed in the remaining non-astrocytic brain tumors. Our results, showing differences in nuclear number, size and margination in different brain tumors, lead us to consider it worthwhile to investigate nucleolar-related features and their relationships using a quantitative approach

    Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia - Qualitative and Quantitative-analyses of the Blood Capillary Architecture On Thin Tissue-sections.

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    The aim of our study was to qualitatively and quantitatively investigate the capillary architecture on lectin Ulex Europaeus agglutinin I-stained histological section in prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia. The capillaries appeared as small, short or elongated vessels with either a smooth or undulated external contour and either virtual or visible lumen, sometimes with a clearly identifiable endothelial nucleus/i. In the benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia categories, the capillaries appeared located in close contact with (i.e. touching) or in proximity to the basement membrane of ducts and acini. In the invasive adenocarcinoma category, on the contrary, the capillaries in general appeared interspersed within the tumour stroma and septa. Our quantitative studies of the capillary architecture showed that, going from benign prostatic hyperplasia through prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia up to invasive adenocarcinoma, an increasing proportion of capillaries becomes shorter, with open lumen and undulated external contour and with a greater number of endothelial cells. The highest proportion of touching capillaries was seen in benign prostatic hyperplasia, while the lowest was in invasive adenocarcinoma, being intermediate in prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia. When the prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia samples were divided into low-grade and high-grade, the feature values in the low-grade approached those in benign prostatic hyperplasia, whereas in the high-grade they were close to invasive adenocarcinoma. Half of the benign prostatic hyperplasia samples were taken from total prostatectomies because of the preoperative diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma. The feature values in this subcategory were close to those of prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia of low grade

    Quantitative-analysis of Quadriceps Muscle Biopsy In Systemic-sclerosis.

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    The lesser diameter of the fibers, separately of type 1 and type 2 fibers, and the capillary density evaluated as number of capillaries/area and number of capillaries/fiber were quantitatively estimated in muscle biopsies from 12 patients with systemic sclerosis. Nine patients with polymyositis or rheumatoid arthritis and six patients with muscle dystrophy and neurogenic atrophy served as controls. The results showed that patients with systemic sclerosis had low values of the lesser diameter of the fibers. This reduction was most obvious in type 2 fibers. The capillaries were also significantly reduced when compared with the control groups. When considering the capillaries/fiber ratio, seven out of eight patients with values lower than 0.7 belonged to the systemic sclerosis group. In systemic sclerosis the capillary density values were not significantly correlated with those of the lesser diameters of the fibers

    Low Rate of Cancer Events After Partial Nephrectomy for Renal Cell Carcinoma: Clinicopathologic Analysis of 1994 Cases with Emphasis on Definition of “Recurrence”

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    Background: Systematic pathology reviews in patients who experienced a clinical "recurrence" after partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are anecdotal; therefore, definitions of "recurrence" varies considerably. We aimed to better define local recurrence by re-evaluation of surgical specimens of patients who experienced "recurrences" after partial nephrectomy at our institution. Materials and methods: Retrospective analysis of our institutional partial nephrectomy data set was performed. Patients who were clinically diagnosed with a local recurrence during the oncological follow-up after primary intervention for RCC were considered (January 2007 to December 2017, institutional review board number 5065, 15-1593). Re-evaluation of specimens coming from either primary treatment or management of the diagnosed recurrent disease was performed by 2 dedicated urologic pathologists. According to the findings of the pathology review, patients were assigned to 3 groups of disease event: (1) local recurrence of RCC; (2) new occurrence of RCC; and (3) micrometastatic RCC. Patient demographic characteristics, tumor pathological characteristics, oncological outcomes, disease treatment, and follow-up were reported for each patient. Cancer-specific survival was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Of 1994 cases recorded in the institutional database, data on 30 patients who were clinically diagnosed with a local recurrence were extracted. After pathology review, 9 patients were found who truly developed a local recurrence (group 1). Positive surgical margin status was poorly related to the likelihood of a true local recurrence as defined herein. Twelve patients were assessed with a new occurrence of RCC (group 2). Nine were diagnosed with micrometastatic RCC (group 3). With comparable follow-up lengths among the groups (39 [interquartile range (IQR), 32-45] versus 51.5 [IQR, 35-90.5] versus 42 [IQR, 13-65], group 1 versus 2 versus 3, respectively; P = .4), patients classified in group 1 and 3 had comparable cancer-specific survival (P = .5). Conversely, patients in group 2 were less likely to die of disease compared with group 1 and 3 patients (P = .02). Conclusion: Careful pathologic classification of RCC disease events after partial nephrectomy has important prognostic implications and allows more precise study of the clinical significance of margin status

    Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia - Expression and Location of Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen In Epithelial, Endothelial and Stromal Nuclei.

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    The expression and location of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunostaining in epithelial, endothelial and stromal nuclei were assessed in prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia (PIN). It was then compared with patterns in benign lesions and in invasive adenocarcinomas of the prostate. The PCNA-positive nuclei showed homogeneous or granular types of staining, or a mixture of both, and a gradation in the intensity of staining. Nuclei with granular and mixed patterns appeared lighter brown than those with a homogeneous pattern, which are darker and more often noted in PIN and invasive adenocarcinomas than in benign lesions. For epithelial PCNA-stained nuclei, the proportions in the two grades of PIN were greater than in benign prostatic hyperplasia (mean 3.16%, SE 0.31%) and prostatic atrophic ducts and acini (mean 0.56%, SE 0.09%), the values decreasing from the nuclei in the basal position towards those in the luminal layer. In grade 1, the category mean values were 9.51% (SE 1.14%) in the basal, 7.02% (SE 1.27%) in the intermediate and 6.02% (SE 0.90%) in the luminal position. In grade 2, the category mean values were 13.81% (SE 1.42%) in the basal position, 10.99% (SE 1.17%) in the intermediate and 7.91% (SE 1.43%) in the luminal position. In small and large acinar adenocarcinomas, the proportions of positive nuclei were 8.66% (SE 0.30%) and 9.06% (SE 0.30%), respectively. The category mean values in the cribriform adenocarcinomas were 14.40% (SE 0.61%) in the basal position, 11.84% (SE 1.30%) in the intermediate and 9.26% (SE 0.66%) in the luminal position. As in PIN, the proportions of immunostained nuclei in the adenocarcinoma with cribriform pattern decreased from the basal towards the luminal layer. In the solid/trabecular adenocarcinomas, the category mean value in the cell layer adjacent to the stroma was 17.60% (SE 2.92%), whereas in the other cell layers it was lower than that in the cells adjacent the stroma (mean 13.88%, SE 1.71%). For capillary endothelial and stromal cells, the percentages of PCNA-stained nuclei were much lower than those in the epithelial component. The lowest mean values were obtained in benign lesions, whereas the highest were in invasive adenocarcinomas, the percentages in PIN being intermediate

    Morphometrically Assisted Grading of Astrocytomas.

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    Alcohol-fixed, toluidine-blue-stained smears from 24 astrocytomas (12 low grade and 12 high grade or anaplastic) were included in the study. In each case 50 nuclei from representative areas of the tumor were selected for analysis; quantitative features pertaining to both the entire nucleus and the nucleoli were computed. Nuclear features were nuclear area and total optical density. Nucleolar features were number of nucleoli per nucleus, nucleolar area, variance of the nucleolar area, and mean and variance of the distance of nucleoli from the nuclear membrane. The results showed distinct changes in a number of nuclear and nucleolar features from low to high grade astrocytomas. Features expressing the most pronounced nuclear changes were area, grey level nonuniformity and run percentage. Changes were also found in the following nucleolar features: number of nucleoli, nucleolar area, variance of nucleolar area, nucleolar location and variance of nucleolar location. Linear discriminant analysis was carried out to determine a direction in feature space along which astrocytomas of low and high grade might be ranked. The nuclear area, number of low gray value pixels and a run length feature provided a useful linear combination. The study showed that one can derive a set of objective criteria from morphometric measurements that allows an ordering of astrocytoma cases along an axis and that might be used for continuous grading
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