Immunohistochemical study of fatty acid synthase in ovarian neoplasms.

In order to evaluate the prognostic significance of fatty acid synthase (FAS), the key enzyme in fatty acid biosynthesis, in ovarian benign and malignant tumors 98 patients with ovarian masses were immunohistochemically evaluated. Histologic features of the lesions and expression for FAS were statistically associated with clinical data and disease-free survival over a 5-year follow-up period. The mean age of patients was 65 years. TNM surgical stages were I in 31.8%, II in 28.2% and III in 40% of cases. The 5-year disease-free survival of the 85 malignant common epithelial ovarian tumors was 47.1% while 35.3 of patients died with active disease. Seventy-eight (79.6%) out of 98 cases expressed FAS in the neoplastic epithelial cells and 42 (42.9%) in the non-neoplastic stromal cells. Statistical analysis revealed FAS expression and stage of the disease to be significantly correlated to recurrence and survival rates only in the malignant common epithelial tumors. Moreover, multivariate analysis showed FAS expression (p=0.05) and tumor stage (p=0.03) to be independent prognostic predictors. FAS is a reliable predictor of recurrence and disease-free survival in common epithelial ovarian tumors along with neoplastic stage. Clinical data, other histologic subtypes and grading were not statistically significant.

Abdominal cystic lymphangioma in a woman at 14 weeks' gestation: case report.

Lymphangiomas are uncommon benign tumors that most commonly present early in life, and are even more exceptional in adults. We present a rare case of a 14-week pregnant woman who had a large septated cystic lesion adherent to the ileum. Despite analysis by ultrasound, the correct diagnosis was established only via laparotomy and she had surgical resection of an abdominal lymphangioma.

Immunohistochemical study of fatty acid synthase, Ki67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and p53 expression in hyperplastic parathyroids.

Patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism following chronic renal disease frequently develop hyperplastic parathyroids. Hyperplastic parathyroids have an increased number of chief cells, a decreased amount of stromal fat, and a nodular or diffuse histologic pattern. Hyperplastic parathyroids may also express higher proliferative activity compared with controls. We evaluated the morphologic features and immunohistochemical expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS), Ki67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and p53 protein in 78 hyperplastic parathyroids from 20 patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Twenty normal parathyroids incidentally removed during nonneoplastic thyroid surgery were used as controls. Our results showed that hyperplastic glands overexpress FAS (P =.06). Statistical analysis also revealed a significant association between FAS and p53 protein (P =.006) and between FAS and hyperplastic glands with a predominant nodular pattern (P =.02). Hyperplastic parathyroids from patients with chronic renal failure strongly express FAS. Fatty acid synthase may therefore be a potential biological indicator of highly proliferating parathyroid cells.

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) predictive strength in poorly differentiated early breast carcinomas.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Many normal and human cancer tissues express fatty acid synthase (FAS), the major enzyme required for endogenous fatty acid biosynthesis. Strong expression of FAS seems to be associated with a poor prognosis. This study examines the strength of FAS and other common markers of relapse in poorly differentiated breast carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients with poorly differentiated ductal infiltrating breast carcinomas were followed up for more than 10 years. Immunohistochemical detection of FAS was associated with morphological features of the tumors, with immunohistochemical expression of c-erbB-2, cathepsin D, estrogen and progesterone receptor status and with DNA ploidy in order to detect a statistical correlation. RESULTS: The chi-square test revealed a correlation between FAS and peritumoral lymphatic vessel invasion (PLVI) (P = 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that FAS was correlated with disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.0001). Other prognosticators associated with DFS were PLVI (P = 0.002), estrogen (P = 0.008) and progesterone receptor status (P = 0.007). Bivariate analysis showed that FAS was a further prognostic discriminant of DFS within the ER, PgR and PLVI subsets. DISCUSSION: FAS is a reliable prognosticator of recurrence in poorly differentiated early breast carcinomas. Association of FAS with PLVI may be useful to plan a correct follow-up in patients with breast neoplasms.

[Comparison of cytology and ELISA in the research on cervical Chlamydia infection]. / Citologia ed ELISA a confronto nella ricerca della Chlamydia cervicale.

Papanicolaou smears from 100 woman with ELISA Chlamydia-positive (42) and negative (58) endocervical smears were examined. Chlamydial endocellular inclusions were found in 3 ELISA positive and 2 negative smears, with an evident low sensitivity (7%) of cytology in the diagnosis of the endocervical infection. Furthermore, by statistical analysis it is clear that a negative test doesn't add anything to the pre-test probability (prevalence) of the infection. On the other hand a positive pap-smear adds a poor information, if compared with immunoenzimathic assay and IF staining. Thus, the Papanicolaou smear can't be considered of diagnostic value for Chlamydial infection. Furthermore, it proves unsuitable even for screening programs on high-risk patients, concerning which the immunoenzymatic assay appears, as previously affirmed, the most suitable effort.