ABSTRACT
The binding of Ulex europeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I) and Peanut agglutinin (PNA) was studied in 56 endometrial carcinomas. The positive rates of UEA-I and PNA were 66%. Following neuraminidase treatment, the PNA positive rate increased from 66% to 98% and most tumors stained abundantly. UEA-I staining was unaffected. Using a combined grading system based on architectural and nuclear abnormalities, the PNA positive rates of grade 1, grade 2 and grade 3 tumors were 78%, 70% and 36%, respectively. There was no correlation between UEA-I binding and the grading systems. UEA-I binding correlated significantly with the presence of myometrial invasion and vessel permeation. Metastatic endometrial carcinomas showed a high affinity of tumor cells for UEA-I. Tissues that stained with UEA-I were those from patients with the worst prognosis. PNA and UEA-I reactivities relate to the biologic activity of endometrial carcinomas. UEA-I can serve as a prognostic marker for patients with endometrial carcinoma.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/chemistry , Endometrial Neoplasms/chemistry , Lectins/metabolism , Plant Lectins , Adenocarcinoma/mortality , Endometrial Neoplasms/mortality , Female , Humans , Immunoenzyme Techniques , Neoplasm Staging , Peanut Agglutinin , Prognosis , Survival AnalysisABSTRACT
The case of a 60-year-old woman in whom a lymphoma-like lesion of the cervix was found during an episode of silent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is presented. Fractional curettage was performed because of abnormal endometrial smear. The endocervical curettage specimens were diagnosed as highly suggestive of malignant lymphoma, but microscopic examination of a subsequent hysterectomy specimen revealed a benign lymphoid hyperplasia. Those were retrospectively interpreted as a lymphoma-like lesion of the cervix. In the absence of clinical symptoms of infectious mononucleosis, the results of serologic tests for EBV revealed an active EBV infection. EBV DNA was demonstrated in nuclei of large lymphoid cells in endocervical curettage specimens by in situ hybridization. She is alive and well 32 months postoperatively. When female patients with lymphoma-like lesions of the lower genital tract are encountered, examinations for EBV are recommended.
