Liver expression of steroid hormones and Apolipoprotein D receptors in hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: To evaluate the tissular expression of Androgen (A), Estrogen (E) and Progesterone (Pg) receptors, and Apolipoprotein D (ApoD), in liver tumors from resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases in order to assess their possible relationship to prognosis. METHODS: We performed an immunohistochemical study using tissue microarrays (containing more than 260 cancer specimens, from 31 HCC patients and controls) to determine the presence of specific antibodies against AR, ER, PgR and ApoD, correlating their findings with several clinico-pathological and biological variables. The staining results were categorized using a semi-quantitative score based on their intensity, and the percentage of immunostained cells was measured. RESULTS: A total of 21 liver tumors (67.7%) were positive for AR; 16 (51.6%) for ER; 26 (83.9%) for PgR and 12 (38.7%) stained for ApoD. We have found a wide variability in the immunostaining score values for each protein, with a median (range) of 11.5 (11.5-229.5) for AR; 11.1 (8.5-65) for ER; 14.2 (4-61) for PgR; and 37.7 (13.8-81.1) for ApoD. A history of heavy ethanol consumption, correlated positively with AR and PgR and negatively with ER status. HCV chronic infection also correlated positively with AR and PgR status. However, the presence of ApoD immunostaining did not correlate with any of these variables. Tumors with a positive immuno-staining for PgR showed a better prognosis. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate a moderate clinical value of the steroid receptor status in HCC, emphasizing the need to perform further studies in order to evaluate the possible role of new hormonal-based therapies.

Chondroid syringoma: a histological and immunohistochemical study of 15 cases.

Fifteen cases of chondroid syringoma have been studied histologically and by immunohistochemical methods in an attempt to establish their phenotypic profile and to elucidate their histogenesis. The epithelial elements were classified as tubuloglandular, solid nests and stromal cells. The inner cell layers of tubuloglandular components had distinct epithelial features, expressing cytokeratin, carcino-embryonic antigen and epithelial membrane antigen. The outer cell layers expressed vimentin, S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase and muscle-specific actin and were negative for epithelial markers. The immunophenotypes of stromal cells and solid nests were similar to those of the outer cell layers. These data suggest that the stromal components may derive from the outer cell of tubuloglandular elements and that myo-epithelial cells have an important role in the histogenesis of these lesions and in their mesenchymal matrix production.

Aggressive fibromatosis of the sphenoid.

A fibromatosis located primarily in the sphenoid, with secondary invasion of the maxilla, orbit, and subtemporal region, was extirpated by means of a combined craniofacial approach.