Apoptotic and proliferative activity in ovarian benign, borderline and malignant tumors / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the apoptotic and proliferative activities in various ovarian epithelial tumors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues of 86 ovarian epithelial tumors, including 52 adenocarcinomas, 23 borderline tumors and 11 cystadenoma, were retrieved. Apoptotic (AI) and proliferative (PI) index were estimated using the monoclonal antibodies: M30, Ki-67 and Ki-S1 in these tumors. Quantitative assessment of AI and PI was estimated by calculating the percentage of positive cells among no less than 1000 tumor cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Statistically significant difference in AI was found between benign and borderline tumors or carcinomas (P = 0.028, 0.001, respectively). Significant differences in PI, as assessed by both Ki-67 and topo IIalpha, were demonstrated between carcinomas and benign or borderline tumors (both P < 0.001). Benign tumors had both low PI and AI; borderline tumors had lower PI but higher AI, while adenocarcinomas had both high proliferative and high apoptotic rates. Among borderline tumors, serious tumors had significantly lower AI and higher PI than mucinous ones.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggest that apoptotic and proliferative activities play important roles in the pathogenesis and development of ovarian borderline and malignant tumors. The high apoptotic rate in borderline tumor may explain its relatively indolent behavior while the high proliferative rate in carcinomas tends to explain its aggressive behavior.</p>

Clinicopathological analysis of loss of fragile histidine triad expression in lung cancer / 中国肺癌杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To investigate the relationship between expression of fragile histidine triad gene protein, Fhit, and clinicopathological characteristics of human lung cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fhit protein expression was detected in 92 cases of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human lung cancer by citrate-microwave-SP immunohistochemical method, of which 52 were non-small cell cancer (NSCLC) and 40 small cell cancer (SCLC). Its relationship to histological grade, lymph node metastasis and histological classification were analysed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The loss of Fhit protein expression were found in 62.0% (57/92) and 4.3% (4/92) of cancer tissue and normal lung tissue, respectively and there was a significant difference in the expression of Fhit protein between cancer and normal tissue (P=0.000). 53.8% (28/52) of the cases of NSCLC showed a marked loss or absence of Fhit expression, 46.2% (24/52) of cases were negative, 7.7% (4/52) showed a higher expression and 38.5% (20/52) equal to the level of Fhit expression compared with the matched normal tissues. The loss of Fhit expression was closely related to histological grade (P=0.003), to lymph node metastasis (P=0.029), and to histological classification of the cases (P=0.003). There was a significant difference between grade I+II (38.2%; 13/34) and grade III cancer (83.3%; 15/18), between cancers with lymph node metastasis (70.8%; 17/24) and those without (39.3%; 11/28), and between squamous cell carcinoma ( 68.6%; 24/35) and adenocarcinoma (23.5%; 4/17). The loss of Fhit protein expression was found in 33 of 40 cases of SCLC (82.5%) and the remainder 7 cases (17.5%) showed the same quantity of expression of Fhit, compared with the normal bronchial mucosa.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The expression of Fhit protein may be associated with the decreasing differentiation, lymph node metastasis and histological classification in NSCLC, and be corresponding to the occurrence and evolution of SCLC. These results suggest that the decreased Fhit expression plays an important role in the development and progression of the tumor, and thus may become a new prognostic marker in human lung cancer.</p>

STUDY OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ANGIOGENESIS AND PROGNOSIS OF BREAST CARCINOMA / 解放军医学杂志

92 specimens from patients with invasive ductal carcinoma were investigated. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was demonstrated by immunocytochemical staining with an antibody against VEGF and was quantitatively estimated by using computerized image analysis system. Vessels were immunohistochemically highlighted by using an antibody to CD34, and microvessel density (MVD) was quantified. The postoperative survey in univariate analysis showed that the relapse-free-survival (RFS) time of patients with more than 87 microvessels in single microscopic field was significantly worse compared to that of patients with less than 87 microvessels in node-negative patients (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis confirmed that MVD was an independent prognostic indicator for RFS in node-negative patients and all patients (P<0.05～0.01). In addition, there was a closely positive correlation between VEGF and MVD (P<0.01). The results suggested that VEGF plays crucial roles in the promotion of angiogenesis in primary breast carcinoma. VEGF and MVD are closely correlated with biological behavior of primary breast carcinomas. MVD can provide a useful message in predicting the recurrence or metastasis of tumors.

STUDY OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ANGIOGENESIS AND PROGNOSIS OF BREAST CARCINOMA / 解放军医学杂志

92 specimens from patients with invasive ductal carcinoma were investigated. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was demonstrated by immunocytochemical staining with an antibody against VEGF and was quantitatively estimated by using computerized image analysis system. Vessels were immunohistochemically highlighted by using an antibody to CD34, and microvessel density (MVD) was quantified. The postoperative survey in univariate analysis showed that the relapse-free-survival (RFS) time of patients with more than 87 microvessels in single microscopic field was significantly worse compared to that of patients with less than 87 microvessels in node-negative patients (P