The genetic and epigenetic landscapes of hepatoblastomas

Primary liver cancers are rare in children, and the most common type is hepatoblastoma (HB), an embryonal tumor with histological features that resemble different stages of liver cell differentiation. However, mainly because of its rarity, molecular data on HB tumorigenesis remain scarce. This article reviews the current knowledge regarding genetic and epigenetic alterations reported in HB cases, with emphasis on the recent findings of next-generation sequencing studies (AU)

Pleuropulmonary blastoma type II: a case report

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare embrionary mesenchymal neoplasm but is recognized as the most common pulmonary malignancy of childhood. It may present metastasis to the brain and also be indicative of other neoplasms in affected individuals or in their relatives. Being such a rare disease, it is considered a difficult diagnosis to be made. A 3-year-old female presented with fever and respiratory distress. At first, she had been treated for pneumonia with antibiotics for 14 days in another hospital with no response. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed a right lung/mediastinal mass. The patient was referred to our institution and a new CT-scan evidenced a complex mass of irregular borders, cystic areas and solid projections, along with a right pneumotorax. The mass was biopsied and hematoxylin-and-eosin (HE) stained histological sections showed a neoplasm composed of small and round cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and scant cytoplasm. The immunohistochemical profile demonstrated positivity for desmin, myogenin and Myo-D1, suggesting the diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma. After two weeks of hospitalization, the patient was clinically stable and initiated the first chemotherapy cycle. Surgical resection of the mass was performed and the HE slides demonstrated a neoplasm composed of anaplastic and condrossarcomatous cells with extensive necrosis. The correlation of clinical data, radiological and morphological features were conclusive of a PPB type II. The recognition and diagnosis of this entity is of great importance due to its clinical and prognostic particularities.

Imunoexpressão de WT1, ß-cateinina, E-caderina e APC em tumor de Wilms esporádico / Expression of WT1, p53, Beta-catenina, E-cadherina and APC in sporadic Wilms tumor

O tumor de Wilms é uma neoplasia embrionária, constituída classicamente por três componentes histológicos: blastema, epitélio e mesênquima (estroma), os quais podem ser encontrados em diferentes proporções em cada tumor. ... Este estudo tem como principal objetivo determinar a freqüência da expressão das proteínas WT1, p53, Beta-catenina, E-caderina e APC nos diferentes componentes histológicos do tumor de Wilms, assim como correlacionar estes achados com o prognóstico. Para estudar a expressão dos marcadores, foi utilizado a imunoistoquímica, através da construção de Tissue Macroarray (TMA), o qual permite a análise de muitas amostras teciduais em uma única lâmina, otimizando custo e tempo. Nos nossos resultados, WT1 e p53 foram mais freqüentemente expressos no componente blastema (WT1: 97% e p53: 63% dos casos) e epitélio (WT1: 87% e p53: 58% dos casos), quando comparados com o estroma (WT1: 13% e p53: 22% dos casos) e com o tecido renal não tumoral (ausência de expressão em todos os casos estudados). ... A imunoexpressão nuclear ocorreu principalmente nos componentes blastematoso e estromal. Houve imunoexpressão de E-caderina na membrana em 47% dos casos, em citoplasma em 44% e em núcleo em 12%. O acúmulo em núcleo foi encontrado principalmente nos componentes blastema e mesênquima, 21 e 25% respectivamente. A imunoexpressão do APC ocorreu em núcleo em 95% dos tumores avaliados, em citoplasma em 9% e nenhum apresentou expressão em membrana. Nos componentes blastematoso e epitelial houve imunopositividade nuclear em 100% dos casos avaliados. No componente mesenquimal a positividade nuclear ocorreu em 89% dos casos. Os pacientes com estádios precoces tiveram mais freqüentemente positividade do WT1. Não houve associação dos outros fatores clínicos, epidemiológicos e evolução dos pacientes com expressão dos marcadores estudados.

Wilms tumor is a triphasic malignant neoplasm compromised of variable proportions of epithelial, blastemal and mesenchymal (stromal) elements. Different components have different clinical behavior. Patients with tumors predominant epithelial and/or stromal has more frequently low stage while predominant blastema has advanced disease. This study was undertaken to evaluate the expression of WT1, beta-catenins, E-cadherin and APC in Wilms tumor and correlate this expression with clinical characteristics, histologic cell type and prognosis. We studied the immunohistochemical expression of WT1, p53, beta-catenins, E-cadherin in different component of Wilms tumor using a tissue array. WT1 and p53 were more often expressed on blastema component (WT1: 97% and p53: 63% of cases) and on epithelial (WT1: 87% and p53: 58% of cases), when compare with the stromal component (WT1: 13% and p53: 22% of cases) and the normal renal tissue where it was not expressed. Immunopositivity of WT1 and p53 were significantly correlated. Immunopositivity of ß-catenina was seen in 85 % at the membrane (85%), 94% cytoplasm and 24% nuclear. Nuclear immunoexpression was detected specially on blastema and stromal component. Immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherina was detected in 47% at the membrane, 44% cytoplasm and 12% nuclear. Nuclear expression was seen more often at the blastema and stromal component (21%, 25% respectively). Immunopositivity of APC occurs at 95% on nucleus, cytoplasm (9%) and none at membrane. Among the blastema and the epithelial component 100% was positive on nucleus. On the stromal component 89% was positive at the nucleus. Immunoexpression of WT1 was correlated with local stage. The expression status of WT1, E-cadherin, ßcatenina, APC in this cohort was not of prognostic value.