Preservation of biomarkers immunoreactivity on cytospins protected with polyethylene glycol.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the preservation of biomarkers immunoreactivity on cytospins protected with polyethylene glycol (PEG). METHODS: In two independent cytopathology laboratories, immunocytochemical reactions were retrospectively evaluated on methanol-fixed and PEG-protected cytospins stored at room temperature (RT) for different time periods and compared with immunocytochemical reactions on corresponding baseline methanol-fixed cytospins. Semi-quantitatively assessed immunoreactivity, using scores from 0 to 3, was considered reduced if two sequential scores were lowered by at least one point. RESULTS: Immunocytochemical reactions for 40 biomarkers with membrane (10), cytoplasmic (22) and nuclear (8) localisation were performed on 921 slides prepared from 183 cytological samples. For the majority of biomarkers (29/37, 78%), immunoreactivity on PEG-protected cytospins stored at RT remained unchanged in the first 12 months. Immunoreactivity for GFAP, p40 and hepatocyte antigen was monitored and remained unchanged for 1, 8 and 7 months, respectively. Partial or complete loss of immunoreactivity on PEG-protected cytospins stored for less than 12 months was found on a single sample out of the total evaluated for CD3 (1/7), CD30 (1/4), CD45 (1/10), CK5/6 (1/7), MelanA (1/7) and vimentin (1/7), while more frequent changes of immunoreactivity were found for Ki67 (4/7) and p63 (2/7). CONCLUSION: Immunoreactivity on cytospins protected with PEG and stored at RT is well-preserved for at least 12 months for the majority of biomarkers.

Predictors of positive axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients with metastatic sentinel lymph node

Introducción. El cáncer de mama con ganglio centinela (GC) metastásico podría estar asociado a factores clínico-patológicos relacionados con la presencia de ganglios linfáticos axilares no-centinela (GLANC) positivos. El objetivo de este trabajo es determinar los factores que predicen la implicación de los GLANC en los pacientes con cancer de mama con GC positivos. Material y métodos. Se procede a análisis retrospectivos de una base de datos que incluyen pacientes con carcinoma de mama invasivo sometidos a biopsia del ganglio centinela, correspondiente a enero de 1999 a agosto de 2002 (n=80). Los factores clínico-patológicos fueron analizados con el objetivo de determinar los factores predictivos de los ganglios axilares positivos adicionales. Resultados. En el análisis global de la población, se verificó que existían 23 pacientes con GC positivos, que fueron sometidos a disección ganglionar axilar convencional. El análisis estadístico reveló que la invasión linfovascular (p~0,00000), la dimensión de la metástasis mayor de 2 mm (p=0,002) y la presencia de extensión extranodal (p=0,002), correspondieron a factores predictivos positivos de desarrollo metastásico de los GLANC. Conclusiones. La probabilidad de la existencia de GLANC positivos se correlaciona con parámetros patológicos como la presencia de invasión linfovascular, el tamaño de metástasis de los GC, y la extensión extranodal. Estos datos podrán ser útiles en lo que concierne a la decisión terapéutica de efectuar la disección ganglionar axilar convencional en los pacientes con cáncer de mama con GC metastásico

Introduction. Breast cancer with metastatic sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) may have clinico-pathologic factors associated with the presence of positive non-sentinel axillary nodes (NSLN). The aim of the present study was to determine factors that predict involvement of NSLN in breast cancer patients with positive SLN. Material and methods. A prospective database search identified 80 patients who underwent SLN biopsy for invasive breast cancer between January 1999 and August 2002. Clinico-pathologic data was analyzed to determine factors that predicted additional positive axillary nodes. Results. A total of 23 patients had positive SLN and underwent conventional axillary lymph node dissection. Statistical analysis revealed that lympho-vascular invasion (p~0.00000), SLN metastasis >2 mm (p=0.002), and the presence of extra-nodal involvement (p=0.002), were positive predictors of the metastatic involvement of NSLN. Conclusions. The likelihood of positive NSLN correlates with pathologic parameters such as the presence of lympho-vascular invasion, size of the SLN metastasis, and extra-nodal involvement. These data may be helpful with the regard to the decision to undertake axillary dissection in breast cancer patients with metastatic sentinel lymph nodes