The expression of cortactin in colorectal cancer and its relationship with clinicopathological and prognostic parameters / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To investigate the expression of cortactin in colorectal cancer and its correlation with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis. Methods: The expressions of cortactin in normal colorectal mucosal tissue and colorectal cancer tissue in paraffin-embedded tissue microarray from 319 patients who were diagnosed as colorectal cancer and treated in Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from 2006 to 2009 was detected by immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test were used for survival analysis, and Cox proportional risk regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: The positive expression rates of cortactin in colorectal cancer tissue and normal colorectal mucosal tissue were 61.1% (195/319) and 5.6% (18/319, P<0.001), respectively. T-stage, N-stage, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, degree of tumor differentiation, neural invasion and preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were associated with the expression of cortactin (P<0.05). The positive expression of cortactin was associated with poorer disease-free survival (P=0.036) and overall survival (P=0.043), and the effect was more significant in patients with stage Ⅱ to Ⅲ. For patients with stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ colorectal cancer, postoperative adjuvant therapy was associated with disease-free survival (P=0.007) and overall survival (P=0.015). The vascular tumor embolus, pathological type, preoperative CEA level and cortactin expression were independent influencing factors for disease-free survival (P<0.05). The age, AJCC stage, preoperative CEA level and cortactin expression were independent influencing factors for overall survival (P<0.05). Preoperative CEA level and cortactin expression were independent influencing factors for disease-free survival and overall survival (P<0.05). Conclusion: Cortactin is expressed in colorectal cancer and in stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ patients, it is a potential predictor of colorectal cancer prognosis.

Colonização nasal em profissionais de enfermagem de unidades especializadas em HIV/aids / Colonización nasal en unidades de enfermeras especializadas en el VIH/SIDA / Nasal colonization in nursing professionals from units specialized in HIV/AIDS

RESUMO Objetivo: investigar a presença de micro-organismos nas narinas dos profissionais de enfermagem de um hospital de ensino brasileiro. Método: estudo transversal, em duas unidades de internação especializadas em HIV/aids. Foram coletadas amostras de secreção nasal de profissionais de enfermagem no período de um mês. As amostras foram processadas no laboratório de microbiologia da instituição e a análise dos dados resultantes por meio do software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) versão 19.0. Os aspectos éticos foram contemplados. Resultados: dos 73 profissionais de enfermagem do serviço, foram coletadas amostras de secreção nasal de 61 (80,2%). Foram isolados seis tipos de micro-organismos em 22 (41,0%) culturas positivas. Destaca-se que o Staphylococcus aureus representou 22,9%, sendo quatro resistentes à oxacilina (MRSA). Conclusão: o Staphylococcus aureus foi o micro-organismo de maior prevalência nos indivíduos deste estudo. .

RESUMEN Objetivo: investigar la presencia de microorganismos en las fosas nasales del personal de enfermería de un hospital universitario brasileño. Método: estudio transversal en dos unidades de hospitalización especializados en VIH/SIDA. Muestras de secreción nasal de enfermeras fueron recolectados durante un mes. Las muestras fueron procesadas en el laboratorio de microbiología de la institución y se analizaron con el paquete estadístico para el software de Ciencias Sociales (SPSS) versión 19.0. Los aspectos éticos fueron cubiertos. Resultados: 73 de los profesionales de enfermería, se recogieron muestras de las secreciones nasales de 61 (80,2%). Se aislaron seis tipos de microorganismos en 22 (41,0%) cultivos positivos. Es de destacar que el Staphylococcus aureus representó el 22,9%, cuatro oxacilina-resistente (MRSA). Conclusión: Staphylococcus aureus fue la prevalencia más microorganismo en los individuos de este estudio. .

ABSTRACT Objective: to investigate the presence of microorganisms in the nostrils of the nursing professionals of a Brazilian teaching hospital. Method: cross-sectional study in two inpatient units specialized in HIV/AIDS. Nasal secretion samples of nursing professionals were collected in one month. The samples were processed at the microbiology laboratory of the institution and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 19.0. Ethical aspects were abided. Results: from the 73 members of the nursing staff, samples of nasal secretions were collected from 61 (80.2%). Six types of microorganisms were isolated in 22 (41.0%) positive cultures. It is noteworthy that Staphylococcus aureus accounted for 22.9%, four of them oxacillin-resistant (MRSA). Conclusion: Staphylococcus aureus microorganism accounted for the largest prevalence in individuals of this study. .

Sigmoid colon metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma / 대한간학회지

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem worldwide, and it has a poor prognosis. Extrahepatic metastasis from HCC is not unusual, with direct invasion representing the main spreading mode. Sites that are frequently involved are the lung, bone, and lymph nodes. There are few reports of HCC invading the distant gastrointestinal tract, especially hematogenously. Herein we report a case of sigmoid colon metastasis from HCC. The patient was diagnosed with HCC and treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Eighteen months after TACE the patient presented with abdominal pain on the left lower quadrant, and a CT scan showed an enhanced mass on the sigmoid colon. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that a tumor cell was positive for polyclonal carcinoembryonic antigen and weakly positive for hepatocyte antigen, supporting the diagnosis of HCC metastasis. The patient underwent anterior resection for the metastatic HCC.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Levels in Ascites Between Chemonaive and Chemotreated Patients

PURPOSE: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in malignant ascites have high diagnostic value for their discrimination from asictes of non-malignant origin. However, there have been no reports on the comparison of VEGF levels between malignant ascites of chemonaive and chemotreated patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: VEGF levels were measured in 44 ascites patients (cirrhosis ascites, 10; chemonaive patients, 21; chemotreated patients, 13) and compared to the level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9). The diagnostic parameters of sensitivity, specificity, and correlation among 3 markers were evaluated. RESULTS: VEGF levels in malignant ascites of chemonaive and chemotreated patients were significantly higher than those in cirrhotic ascites (p<0.05). VEGF levels in ascites of chemonaive patients were significantly higher than those in chemotreated patients (p<0.05). A cutoff value of 10.4pg/mL was calculated using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) for VEGF in chemotreated and chemonaive patients, which gave sensitivities of 75.0% and 53.8% and specificities of 69.6% and 47.1%, respectively. Positive correlations were observed between VEGF and CEA (r=0.353, p<0.05) as well as between VEGF and CA19-9 (r=0.367, p<0.05) in ascites. CONCLUSION: VEGF levels could be a useful tumor marker for malignant ascites, but its value should carefully be interpreted because of lesser reliability in chemotreated ones.

Clinicopathological Aspects of 542 Cases of Pancreatic Cancer: a Special Emphasis on Small Pancreatic Cancer

Small pancreatic cancers (longest diameter < or =2 cm) have been regarded as preliminary to early pancreatic cancer, which was thought to be highly curable. During our experience since 1989, we evaluated 542 cases of pancreatic cancer. Among them we found 74 cases of tumors < or =2 cm in diameter, small pancreatic cancer (TS1 pancreatic cancer). Well-differentiated adenocarcinomas (18.9%) and absence of symptoms (8.1%) were more frequent in patients with TS1 than in those with larger pancreatic tumors. Only 16 of the 74 patients (21.6%) with small pancreatic cancers had T1 tumors. According to the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) staging, only 11 patients (14.9%) were stage IA: their 5-yr survival rate was 23.3% and their median survival was 30.0 months. Among these 11 patients, 3 had tumors <1 cm; their median survival time was 30.0 months and their 5-yr survival rate was 50.0%. These findings may indicate that 'small' pancreatic cancer is not equivalent to 'early' pancreatic cancer.

Functional differences between two morphologically distinct cell subpopulations within a human colorectal carcinoma cell line

The LISP-I human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line was isolated from a hepatic metastasis at the Ludwig Institute, Säo Paulo, SP, Brazil. The objective of the present study was to isolate morphologically different subpopulations within the LISP-I cell line, and characterize some of their behavioral aspects such as adhesion to and migration towards extracellular matrix components, expression of intercellular adhesion molecules and tumorigenicity in vitro. Once isolated, the subpopulations were submitted to adhesion and migration assays on laminin and fibronectin (crucial proteins to invasion and metastasis), as well as to anchorage-independent growth. Two morphologically different subpopulations were isolated: LISP-A10 and LISP-E11. LISP-A10 presents a differentiated epithelial pattern, and LISP-E11 is fibroblastoid, suggesting a poorly differentiated pattern. LISP-A10 expressed the two intercellular adhesion molecules tested, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and desmoglein, while LISP-E11 expressed only low amounts of CEA. On the other hand, adhesion to laminin and fibronectin as well as migration towards these extracellular matrix proteins were higher in LISP-E11, as expected from its poorly differentiated phenotype. Both subpopulations showed anchorage-independent growth on a semi-solid substrate. These results raise the possibility that the heterogeneity found in the LISP-I cell line, which might have contributed to its ability to metastasize, was due to at least two different subpopulations herein identified

Immunohistochemical localisation of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in malignant epithelial ovarian tumours using monoclonal antibodies.

The localization of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in malignant epithelial ovarian tumours was studied using immunohistochemistry. The tissue included in the study consisted of 38 ovarian cancers : 14 mucinous adenocarcinomas, 23 serous adenocarcinomas and 1 endometroid carcinoma. Peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining technique using monoclonal antibodies to CEA was used on routinely fixed paraffin embedded tissues. CEA positivity was observed in all (100%) mucinous adenocarcinomas whereas only one case of serous cyst a denocarcinoma (4.3%) was weakly positive. The only case endometroid carcinoma encountered showed patchy CEA positivity.

Prognostic significance of proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive growth fraction in gastric adenomas

The proliferative activity of gastric adenomas from 18 patients (42 endoscopic procedures) was compared with follow-up results. These cases were gastric adenomas proven by follow-up with repeated endoscopic procedures for more than 2 years, or were confirmed as gastric adenocarcinoma thereafter by histopathologic examination. Among the eighteen cases, nine showed carcinoma in the subsequent biopsies (group 1) and the remaining nine did not result in carcinoma (group 2). The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positivity rates of the two groups were significantly different (P < 0.01). The average PCNA positivity in group 1 was 33.1%, while it was 10.0% in group 2. The risk of developing carcinoma increased as the PCNA positivity increased: 0% in the low PCNA positivity group, 41% in the mid-positivity group and 89% in the high positivity group. We concluded that growth fraction could be taken into account as one of the most important prognostic factors for gastric adenoma, and accordingly repeated endoscopic biopsies with close follow-up should be carried out especially in the high PCNA positivity group.