Overexpression of ezrin and galectin-3 as predictors of poor prognosis of cervical cancer

The aim of this study was to explore the correlation of ezrin and galectin-3 expressions with prognosis in cervical cancer. The immunohistochemical method was applied to detect ezrin and galectin-3 expressions in normal cervix tissues (n=30), cervicitis tissues (n=28), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) tissues (classified as I-III, n=89), and cervical carcinoma tissues (n=84). Follow-up was conducted for 5 to 78 months to analyze the correlation of protein expressions with prognosis. Ezrin and galectin-3 expressions in cervical cancer were significantly higher than in normal cervix, cervicitis and CIN (all P<0.05), and expressions in CIN were significantly higher than in normal cervix and cervicitis (both P<0.05). The expressions of ezrin and galectin-3 were both related with histological grade, deep myometrial invasion and lymph node metastasis (all P<0.05). Spearman analysis showed that ezrin expression was positively correlated with galectin-3 expression in cervical cancer (r=0.355, P<0.05). The survival rate of patients with high expressions of ezrin and galectin-3 was significantly lower than those with low expressions of proteins (both P<0.05). The expressions of ezrin and galectin-3, histological grade, depth of stromal invasion, and lymph node metastasis are risk factors affecting the survival rate of patients with cervical cancer. The expressions of ezrin and galectin-3 were correlated with the development of cervical cancer, and overexpressions of those proteins were indicative of poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer.

Prognostic value of podoplanin expression in intratumoral stroma and neoplastic cells of uterine cervical carcinomas

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathological significance of podoplanin expression in the intratumoral stroma and neoplastic cells of early stage uterine cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 143 patients with clinical stage I and IIA uterine cervical carcinomas underwent surgery between 2000 and 2007. Clinicopathological data and slides associated with these cases were retrospectively reviewed. Immunodetection of podoplanin expression in histologic sections of tissue microarray blocks was performed using the monoclonal antibody D2-40. RESULTS: Expression of podoplanin was detected in neoplastic cells in 31/143 (21.6 percent) cases, with 29/31 (93.5 percent) of these cases diagnosed as squamous carcinoma. For all of the cases examined, the strongest signal for podoplanin expression was observed at the proliferating edge of the tumor nests. The rate of positive podoplanin expression for node-positive cases was lower than that of node-negative (18.9 percent vs. 22.6 percent, respectively). Furthermore, the rate of positive podoplanin expression in fatal cases was 10.5 percent vs. 21.6 percent, respectively. In 27/143 (18.8 percent) cases, podoplanin expression was detected in fibroblasts of the intratumoral stroma, and this expression did not correlate with patient age, clinical stage, tumor size, histologic type, depth of infiltration, or vascular involvement. Moreover, expression of podoplanin in intratumoral stroma fibroblasts was only negatively associated with nodal metastasis. A greater number of fatal cases was observed among negative intratumoral stroma fibroblasts (15.5 percent vs. 3.7 percent, respectively), although this difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results suggest that podoplanin may have a role in host-tumor interactions and, as a result, may represent a favorable prognostic factor for squamous cervical carcinomas.

Prognostic value of p53 expression in early stage cervical carcinoma treated by surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic significance of p53 protein expression in patients with early stage cervical carcinoma treated by surgery alone in a well-controlled study. METHODS: A matched case-control study was performed in patients with stage Ib-IIa cervical carcinoma who underwent radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Patients had neither lymph node metastasis nor involvement of the parametrium and surgical margins, and did not receive any adjuvant treatment. Cases included 30 patients who had tumor recurrence within 5 years after surgery; controls included 60 patients who were disease-free for at least 5 years after surgery. Cases and controls were within 10 years of age, had the same stage and tumor type, and underwent surgery on as close to the same date as possible. The tumor sizes of cases and controls were within 1 cm of each other. Expression of p53 protein was studied by immunohistochemistry. Expression was considered positive when at least 10% of tumor cells showed nuclear staining. RESULTS: No significant difference of p53 expression was observed between the case group and the control group (33% versus 40%). High histologic grade of tumors and lymphovascular space invasion were significantly associated with tumor recurrence in multivariable analysis (p=0.012 and 0.014, respectively). CONCLUSION: In this study, expression of p53 did not correlate with tumor recurrence. Immunohistochemistry for p53 protein appears to provide no prognostic information in the patients with early stage cervical cancer treated by surgery.

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the prostate

An unusual adenosquamous carcinoma originating in the prostate of a 73-year-old man is described. The histological finding showed a well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma admixed in an adenocarcinomatous area. A transitional area of 2 carcinomatous elements was also noted. Seven months prior to the development of this lesion, a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma had been established by transurethral resection of the prostate and the patient had been treated with bilateral orchiectomy. This is the first case of adenosquamous carcinoma of the prostate reported in Korea. The pathogenesis and previous reports of this lesion will be discussed.