ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is evidence that angiogenesis plays an important role in the biologic aggressiveness of breast carcinomas and might be used as a prognostic marker. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a series of 140 invasive mammary carcinomas, microvessels were highlighted immunohistochemically using two endothelial markers, factor VIII-related antigen (FVIIIRA) and CD31. Cases were divided into high and low microvessel density groups according to the highest number of microvessels found in each tumour's most vessel-dense part. The data was statistically analysed with regard to classic clinicopathologic prognosticators (i.e., histologic type and grade, nuclear grade, tumour size, stage, lymph node status and steroid receptor immunoexpression) by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Both markers' counts displayed just a weak skewness. Interestingly, CD31 angiogenesis grade was not influenced by any of the prognostic indicators assessed. FVIIIRA immunoreactivity was significantly affected only by nuclear grade (p = 0.041) in logistic regression analysis. Infiltrating lobular carcinomas frequently demonstrated higher FVIIIRA-positive microvessel densities than ductal invasive carcinomas, at least in the subgroup of patients with absence of nodal metastases and in those patients with highly oestrogen-dependent tumours. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of relation between angiogenesis and either disease stage or lymph node metastasis indicates that this process may be necessary, but not sufficient alone for breast cancer spread.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/blood supply , Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/blood supply , Carcinoma, Lobular/blood supply , Neovascularization, Pathologic/metabolism , Adult , Aged , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/metabolism , Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/pathology , Carcinoma, Lobular/metabolism , Carcinoma, Lobular/pathology , Female , Humans , Immunoenzyme Techniques , Middle Aged , Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1/metabolism , Predictive Value of Tests , von Willebrand Factor/metabolismABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Analysis of the obtained results after operative hysteroscopy for several intrauterine abnormalities. METHOD: Thirty women with uterine problems (7 polyps, 16 endometrial, 5 endocervical adhesions and 2 lost IUDs) were submitted to operative hysteroscopy under general anesthesia by using fine rigid auxiliary instruments at Lito Private Maternity Hospital and the 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Athens University during 1991. RESULT: The adhesiolysis was successful in all the 21 cases with 5 subsequent pregnancies to date, the hysteroscopic excision of the 7 polyps was uneventful and the removal of the 2 lost IUDs was done by using a special forceps for foreign bodies. CONCLUSION: Operative hysteroscopy presented excellent results intra-operatively, post-operatively and in the routine follow-up by diagnostic hysteroscopy 3 months after intervention.
