[Assessment of the basal membrane status as prognostic factor in renal carcinoma]. / Valoración del estado de la membrana basal como factor pronóstico en el carcinoma renal.

OBJECTIVES: To know the basal membrane (BM) integrity in renal cell carcinoma (RC) and its importance as prognostic factor. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 73 patients with RC were selected. Immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies against basal proteins laminin and collagen IV was performed. Percentage for BM fragmentation in the whole tumour was considered taking 75% as cut off. RESULTS: Follow-up was 6.3 +/- 4.3 years and 27 patients progressed. Correlation between laminin and collagen IV was significative (p = 0.000). A BM fragmentation expressed with laminin bigger than 75% was related to tumoural symptoms (p = 0.019), worse grade (p = 0.004) and necrosis in more than 10% of the tumour (p = 0.000). Fragmentation observed with collagen IV was associated to tumours greater than 7 cm (p = 0.014). Those patients whose tumours displayed more than 75% of BM fragmentation, measured with collagen IV, presented worse survival (p = 0.042). A similar trend was observed in the case of laminin, but it did not reach statistic significance (p = 0.119). In the unvariated analysis grade III-IV, more than 10% of necrosis within the tumour, tumoural symptoms and BM fragmentation bigger than 75% measured with collagen IV were prognostic, while only grade and necrosis did so in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Collagen IV and laminin represent nicely, with a similar expression pattern, the BM fragmentation in RC. Within a battery of immunohistochemical markers to study RC at least one of them should be included because their prognostic implication.

Valoración del estado de la membrana basal como factor pronóstico en el carcinoma renal / Significance of basal membrane status as a prognostic factor in renal carcinoma

FUNDAMENTOS: Conocer el estado de la membrana basal (MB) en el carcinoma renal (CR) y su importancia como factor pronóstico. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se seleccionaron 73 pacientes con CR. Se realizó inmunohistoquímica con anticuerpos monoclonales contra las proteínas basales laminina y colágeno IV. La valoración de los resultados consideró la integridad de la MB dentro del tumor tomando como punto de corte un 75 por ciento de basales fragmentadas en el tumor.RESULTADOS: El seguimiento fue de 6.3 ñ 4,3 años, durante el cual hubo progresión de la enfermedad en 27 pacientes. La correlación en la expresión de ambas moléculas fue significativa (p=0,000). La fragmentación de la MB en más del 75 por ciento del tumor expresada con laminina se relacionó con una presencia de clínica por el tumor (p=0,019), con un peor grado de diferenciación celular (p=0,004) y con más del 10 por ciento de necrosis (p=0,001). Una fragmentación mayor del 75 por ciento expresada con colágeno IV se asoció a tumores mayores de 7 cm (p=0,014). Se observó una peor supervivencia en aquellos pacientes con tumores con más del 75 por ciento de fragmentación de la MB medida con colágeno IV (p=0,042), mientras que con la laminina se apreció una tendencia similar que no alcanzó la significación estadística (p=0,1 19). En el análisis univariado resultaron factores pronósticos el grado III-IV, la presencia de más de un 10 por ciento de necrosis en el tumor, la presentación clínica del tumor y con una fragmentación de la MB mayor del 75 por ciento analizada con colágeno IV, persistiendo los dos primeros en el análisis multivariado.CONCLUSIONES: Colágeno IV y laminina representan correctamente y de forma paralela el grado de fragmentación de la MB en el CR. Dentro de una batería de factores imnunohistoquímicos en CR se debería incluir al menos una de ellas por su implicación pronóstica (AU)

Characterization of a new rat cell line established from 2'AAF-induced combined hepatocellular cholangiocellular carcinoma.

A rat cell line-nominated CC-62 derived from a combined hepatocellular and cholangiocellular carcinoma obtained by administration of 2-acetylaminofluorene to male Wistar rats, has been established. Using light and electron microscopy it was determined that morphologically the tumor consisted of a mixed population of hepatocytes and cholangiolar neoplastic cells, intermingled with small, undifferentiated oval-like cells. The CC-62 line has been maintained through 90 passages in culture adopting a paving stone arrangement. Doubling time at the 12th passage was 23 h. Immunostaining with a panel of antisera was performed to identify the cytological profiles of the cell line. There was no k-ras or p53 expression by immunohistochemistry, and molecular biology failed to detect mutations. Molecular analysis by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction revealed transcripts for c-met but no expression of HGF messenger ribonucleic acid. Three cell lines cloned from CC-62 showed the same immunohistochemical and molecular pattern as the parental line. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a chromosome number ranging from 74 to 82 with a modal number of 79 but no clonal structural abnormalities were found. Deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy analysis showed an aneuploid peak. CC-62 caused tumors 1 mo after subcutaneous transplantation into nude mice, with morphological patterns of mucosecretory solid and spindle-shaped carcinoma. This cell line is the first established from a primary rat combined hepatocellular and cholangiocellular neoplasm. The resulting cells expressed biological and morphological markers of hepatocytes and cholangiolar cells. Therefore this cell line may contribute to a better understanding of the histogenesis of liver cancer.

Cytogenetic study of a spindle-cell rhabdomyosarcoma of the parotid gland.

The cytogenetic analysis of a spindle-cell rhabdomyosarcoma of the parotid gland in a 6-year-old boy is reported. The tumor cells showed an abnormal karyotype with a hypotriploid modal chromosome number and clonal structural rearrangements affecting chromosomes 1, 8, 12, 21, and 22. The tumor karyotype was: 59, XY, -1, -3, -4, -5, -6, +8, +8, +del(8)(q22q24), -9, -10, del(12)(q13), -15, -16, -17, -18, der(21)t(12;21)(p11;p11), -22, der(22)t(1;22)(q12;p11).

[2 new cases of Y-autosome translocation associated with azoospermia]. / Dos nuevos casos de translocación Y-autosoma asociada con azoospermia.

We present two new cases of Y-autosome translocation which were detected in two azoospermic males. In the first case the translocation was de novo with the karyotype: 46,XY,t(Y;16)(q12;q11-12). In the second case the karyotype was: 46,XY,t(Y;1)(cen-q11;cen-p11), t(Y;15)(q12;p11), the mother having been a carrier of the same Y-15 translocation, and showing the chromosomic formula: 46,XX,t(Y;15)(q12;p11).

[Ultrastructural study of a case of argyria]. / Estudio ultraestructural de un caso de argiria.

The authors studied by transmission electron microscopy a case of cutaneous argyria. Found round and oval forms into which there are a silver granules forming rings. Those images sequencied permit hypothesized that the winning of the solved silver by phagocytes into which are precipitate and eliminate out of the cell.

[Ultrastructural study of Leishmania tropica in the amastigote phase]. / Estudio ultraestructural de la Leishmania trópica en fase amastigota.

A case is reported of cutaneous leishmaniasis with an ultrastructural study of the amastigote form, emphasizing and discussing the presence of two flagella inwards in the same parasite, a fact which is indicative of the great activity of the parasite in host lesions.

[Chromosome anomalies found in a cytogenetic study of 750 healthy newborn infants]. / Anomalías cromosómicas encontradas en un estudio citogenético realizado en 750 niños recién nacidos sanos.

Cytogenetic studies on newborn infants show a high incidence in chromosomal abnormalities (0.5-1% of the population). Chromosomal study is carried out on 750 children from the University Hospital of Valencia over a two-year period, chosen at random and without any clinical pathology. Five gonosomopathies and three autosomopathies were found. In the former, three 47,XXY, one triple-X, and one isochromosome of long arms of chromosome X, were detected. In autosomal chromosomopathies, a Robertsonian translocation was seen between chromosomes 13 and 14, a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 8 and 10, and an inversion of chromosome 3. Altogether eight cytogenetic anomalies appeared, a percentage slightly over one percent. Importance of early diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities is discussed, with the aim of establishing adequate treatment when possible, and genetic counselling for the family.

Cell-to-cell interaction between N-13A ascitic hepatoma cells and normal cells maintained in short-term co-cultures: an optical, transmission and scanning electron microscopical study.

N-13A malignant ascitic hepatoma, induced by 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene in Wistar rats, does not produce distant mestastases when transplanted in vivo. The mixed co-cultures of N-13A tumor cells and several tissue explants of newborn Wistar rats show selective adhesivity between tumoral and hepatic epithelial cells, but not with fibroblast-like cells of nervous tissue, kidney or diaphragm. In short-term co-cultures, N-13A cells in contact with rat hepatocytes prepared by the collagenase perfusion technique, display a selective adherence capacity with the production of abundant microvilli and fingerlike protrusions (microspikes) which are elaborated by the neoplastic cells. Groups of tumoral cells tightly envelop the free surface of the cultured hepatocytes. Tight-junction formations are observed, and immature desmosomes and polydesmosomic systems are also seen between both tumoral and normal cells.

[Familial translocation t(3;22) detected in a carrier child with mental retardation and other abnormalities]. / Translocación familiar t(3;22) detectada a través de un niño portador con retraso mental y otras anomalías.

A case of familial translocation t(3;22) (q21;q13) detected through a boy carrier with various functional and phenotypical alterations is described. The caryotype study (G bands) showed that the mother, one maternal aunt, two maternal uncles, and the brother of the proband were likewise carriers of the same translocation. We discuss the type of segregation and the high familial incidence of the translocation.