Immunostaining of ßA-Activin and Follistatin Is Decreased in HPV(+) Cervical Pre-Neoplastic and Neoplastic Lesions.

The activin-follistatin system regulates several cellular processes, including differentiation and tumorigenesis. We hypothesized that the immunostaining of ßA-activin and follistatin varies in neoplastic cervical lesions. Cervical paraffin-embedded tissues from 162 patients sorted in control (n = 15), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 1 (n = 38), CIN2 (n = 37), CIN3 (n = 39), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; n = 33) groups were examined for ßA-activin and follistatin immunostaining. Human papillomavirus (HPV) detection and genotyping were performed by PCR and immunohistochemistry. Sixteen samples were inconclusive for HPV detection. In total, 93% of the specimens exhibited HPV positivity, which increased with patient age. The most detected high-risk (HR)-HPV type was HPV16 (41.2%) followed by HPV18 (16%). The immunostaining of cytoplasmatic ßA-activin and follistatin was higher than nuclear immunostaining in all cervical epithelium layers of the CIN1, CIN2, CIN3, and SCC groups. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the cytoplasmic and nuclear immunostaining of ßA-activin was detected in all cervical epithelial layers from the control to the CIN1, CIN2, CIN3, and SCC groups. Only nuclear follistatin immunostaining exhibited a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in specific epithelial layers of cervical tissues from CIN1, CIN2, CIN3, and SCC compared to the control. Decreased immunostaining of cervical ßA-activin and follistatin at specific stages of CIN progression suggests that the activin-follistatin system participates in the loss of the differentiation control of pre-neoplastic and neoplastic cervical specimens predominantly positive for HPV.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast: case report

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) of the breast is an uncommon invasive lobular neoplasm whose morphology is similar to the homonymous tumor of salivary glands and with a peculiar behavior toward the "triple-negative" (TN) profile. Tumors belonging to this family do not immunohistochemically express three of the main prognostic biomarkers and tend to show a more aggressive behavior. However, this rare histological pattern of breast cancer is generally associated with good prognosis. In this study, the authors describe the case of a 49-year-old woman diagnosed with this rare malignant tumor and who underwent breast-conserving surgery. Recent studies have aimed to understand the genes, genetic alterations, and etiological aspects related to the still obscure etiopathogenesis of AdCC. Thus, morphological and molecular aspects relevant to AdCC and reported in the literature will be discussed.

Lack of association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism, HPV infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in Brazilian women.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer has high prevalence and mortality rates in worldwide female population. Persistent infection by high-risk Human Papillomavirus (hr-HPV) is the main cause of this cancer. However, many environmental, genetical, and epigenetical cofactors can modulate viral infection and cervical carcinogenesis. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism is a genetic factor that has been associated with many pathologies, including cancer. Nevertheless, studies with cervical cancer presented controversial results, and varied according to ethnicity. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer. METHODS: A case-control study was performed with 150 histological cervical samples. Case group were divided in Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) grade I (n = 30), CIN II (n = 30), CIN III (n = 30), and Squamous Cervical Carcinoma (SCC) (n = 30). Control group was composed by 30 samples without lesion, presenting cervicitis. HPV detection was performed by conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with SPF primers set, and by real-time PCR specific for HPV 16 and hr-HPV. MTHFR C677T polymorphism was analyzed by PCR followed by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). RESULTS: Frequency of MTHFR CC genotype was 72.7% (n = 109), CT 23.3% (n = 35) and TT 4.0% (n = 6). Polymorphic T allele frequency was 15.7%. No statistically significant association was observed between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and presence of pre-neoplastic or neoplastic cervical lesions. Similar frequencies of T allele was observed in control (23.3%) and cases (13.3%) groups (p = 0.174). In addition, there was no statistically significant association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and viral infection, even considering hr-HPV or HPV 16 positivity. CONCLUSION: MTHFR C677T polymorphism was not associated with cervical cancer and HPV infection.

Struma ovarii maligno / Malignant Struma ovarii

O "Struma ovarii" é um tumor ginecológico raro, sendo de malignização e metástases incomuns. Constituído predominantemente por tecido tireoideano, apresenta maior incidência aos 50 anos. Apresentamos o caso de uma paciente de 41 anos com história prévia de teratoma tratado, que desenvolve dor pélvica e tumoração abdominal. Operada, concluiu-se tratar de "Struma ovarii" maligno com metástases. Após a radioablação com I-131, encontra-se sob controle clínico. Apesar de sua raridade, o "Struma ovarii" possui bom prognóstico, devendo ser lembrado no diagnóstico diferencial dos tumores ovarianos.

Minichromosome maintenance 7 protein is a reliable biological marker for human cervical progressive disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study focused on comparing the expression levels of p16, Ki-67, and minichromosome maintenance 7 (MCM7) protein in normal and affected cervical epithelium to ascertain the biological significance of these markers in detecting progressive cervical disease. METHODS: A quantitative and based on-scanning-microscopy analysis of the three markers expression was performed in normal and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I, II, and III tissues. p16 area as well as p16, Ki-67, and MCM7 positive cells or nuclei were evaluated according to their distribution and extent through the cervical epithelium. RESULTS: A clear p16 over-expression was observed in all the dysplastic epithelium tissue samples. The quantitative analysis of p16 area as well as the number of p16 positive cells was able to better discriminate the CIN lesions grades than the usual semi-quantitative analysis. The average Ki-67 labeling indexes for the normal epithelium, CIN I, CIN II, and CIN III groups were 19.8%, 27.3%, 32.8%, and 37.1%, respectively, whereas the mean MCM7 labeling indexes for the correspondent grades were 27.0%, 30.4%, 50.5%, and 67.2%. The Ki-67 and MCM7 labeling indexes were closely correlated with the CIN histological grade, with higher labeling indexe values obtained from the more severe lesions (p<0.05), being the MCM7 labeling indexes the highest values in all the CIN categories (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: We observed a good correlation among the p16, Ki-67, and MCM7 data. In addition, MCM7 demonstrated to be a more efficient and sensitive marker to assess disease progression in the uterine cervix.

Ectopic Cutaneous Schistosomiasis mansoni in the Sacral Region.

The authors report one case of late cutaneous Schistosomiasis mansoni in a biopsy of a skin lesion in the sacral region in a 51-year-old female living in Contagem, Minas Gerais. The patient was treated successfully with oxamniquine (Mansil®).

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia recurrence after conization in HIV-positive and HIV-negative women.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the recurrence rates of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in a cohort of HIV-infected and noninfected women who underwent the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 94 HIV-positive and 107 HIV-negative women, both with CIN, treated with LEEP. The diagnosis of recurrence was established after biopsy. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and multivariate analyses were carried out using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: There was a predominance of low-grade lesions in HIV-positive compared with HIV-negative women (P<0.01). Recurrence was more frequent with compromised margins and glandular involvement (P<0.01). A multivariate analysis showed that HIV-infection, glandular involvement, and positive margins were independently associated with recurrence of lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrence rate of CIN in HIV-positive women was higher than in HIV-negative women. The factors associated with recurrence were HIV infection, glandular involvement, and positive margins.

Fatores de risco de recidiva de lesões intra-epiteliais cervicais após conização por cirurgia de alta freqüência em mulheres portadoras e não portadoras do vírus da imunodeficiência humana / Risk factors for cervical intraepithelial lesions after loop electrosurgical excision procedure in HIV-infected and non-infected women

OBJETIVOS: avaliar os fatores de risco associados à recidiva das lesões intra-epiteliais, após conização do colo com cirurgia de alta freqüência. MÉTODOS: estudo caso-controle aninhado em coorte de 201 pacientes que se submeteram à conização com cirurgia de alta freqüência por apresentarem lesão intra-epitelial cervical, acompanhadas, em média, por dois anos. Participaram 94 portadoras do HIV e 107 não-portadoras do vírus. A conização cervical foi realizada por cirurgia de alta freqüência e a peça cirúrgica encaminhada para exame histopatológico, que avaliou o grau da lesão, as margens e a ocupação glandular. Após a cirurgia, as pacientes foram examinadas a cada seis meses com citologia oncótica e colposcopia. Foram consideradas recidivas as lesões que, após a cirurgia, foram confirmadas novamente por biópsia. Neste estudo, foram considerados casos as pacientes com recidiva e controles as sem recidiva. As comparações entre os grupos foram realizadas pelo teste do chi2 e a análise multivariada pela regressão logística. Para a análise de sobrevida foi utilizado o método de Kaplan-Meier (teste log-rank). RESULTADOS: houve recidiva das lesões em 40 pacientes. As variáveis que inicialmente apresentaram significância estatística foram: número de parceiros, soropositividade, margens do cone e envolvimento glandular, como indicadores do risco para recidiva. A ocorrência simultânea de ocupação glandular e margens comprometidas apresentou as recidivas mais freqüentes. Após análise pela regressão logística, permaneceram significativamente associados à recorrência das lesões: ocupação glandular (OR=9,1; IC a 95 por cento:13,0-27,5); presença do HIV (OR=4,6; IC a 95 por cento:1,1-6,3); margens comprometidas (OR-2,6; IC a 95 por cento:1,9-11,2). CONCLUSÕES: os fatores de risco associados à recidiva das lesões intra-epiteliais cervicais foram: soropositividade, ocupação glandular e margens comprometidas.

PURPOSE: to evaluate risk factors associated with cervical intraepithelial lesion recurrence after LEEP conization. METHODS: nested case-control study in a cohort of 201 patients with cervical intraepithelial lesion, that were submitted to LEEP conization. Average follow-up of these patients was 2 years. Ninety-four HIV-infected women and 107 non-infected were enrolled. Cervical conization was achieved by the Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP). Evaluated surgical biopsy histopathological characteristics were lesion grade, lesion borders and glandular involvement. After surgery all patients were submitted to a colposcopy and cytological evaluation every six months. Recurrent lesions were defined it confirmed by biopsy after surgery. Cases were patients with and controls patients without recurrence. chi2 test and multivariable analysis by logistic regression were used for group comparisons. Kaplan Meier's method was performed for the survival analyses (log-rank test). RESULTS: 40 patients had lesion recurrence. Initially, significant variables were: partner number, HIV-infection, lesion borders and glandular involvement. The most frequent recurrence occurred when there were simultaneous association between positive margins and glandular involvement as indicator for recurrence risk. After logistic regression analysis the main factors associated with lesion recurrence were: glandular involvement (OR-9.1; 95 percent CI:13.0- 27.5); HIV-infection (OR-4.6; 95 percent IC:1.1-6.3); compromised margins (OR-2.6; 95 percent IC:1.9-11.2). CONCLUSIONS: risk factors associated with cervical intraepitelial lesion recurrence were HIV-infection, glandular involvement and compromised margins.

[The tumoral form of cerebellar schistosomiasis: case report and measure of granulomas]. / Forma tumoral da esquistossomose mansoni cerebelar: relato de caso e medida dos granulomas.

An unusual case of the tumoral form of cerebellar Schistosomiasis mansoni, in a 15 year-old male diagnosed by biopsy, with neurological signs and symptoms 60 days prior to surgery. Computerized tomography show a hyperdense expanding lesion located in cerebellum, suggesting glioma. Histopathological examination showed numerous S. mansoni ova involved by granulomatous inflammation in necrotic-exudative phase, located mainly in the internal, granular layer of the cerebellum, creating a pseudotumor in the cerebellar vermis and a recent hemorrhage in the trunk. The areas of granulomas were measured.

Forma tumoral da esquistossomose mansoni cerebelar: relato de caso e medida dos granulomas / The tumoral form of cerebellar schistosomiasis: case report and measure of granulomas

Caso raro de forma tumoral da esquistossomose mansoni cerebelar diagnosticada pela biópsia, em um paciente de 15 anos, que apresentou sinais e sintomas neurológicos 60 dias antes da cirurgia. A tomografia computadorizada revelou lesão expansiva, hiperdensa, localizada no cerebelo, sugestiva de glioma. O exame histopatológico mostrou numerosos ovos de S. mansoni envolvidos por reação inflamatória granulomatosa na fase necrótico-exsudativa, confluentes, localizados principalmente na camada interna, granular, do cerebelo, formando pseudotumor no verme cerebelar e hemorragia recente na ponte. Foram medidas as áreas dos granulomas.

[Primary low grade B-cell lymphoma MALT type of the duramater: case report]. / Linfoma de células B tipo MALT, de baixo-grau, primitivo da dura-máter: relato de caso.

We describe a rare case of nodular and low grade non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma, MALT type, with morphological and immunohistochemical features of lymphoplasmocytic (REAL classification), of immunophenotype of B lymphocytes and detected monoclonal of immunoglobulin kappa light chains, with low proliferation grade (<10%). The tumor was primitive of the left parietal duramater in a 36 years old woman, who presented neurological clinical symptoms four months before the surgery. After surgery, she was submitted to chemotherapy and radiotherapy with good results.

Linfoma de células B tipo MALT, de baixo-grau, primitivo da dura-máter: relato de caso / Primary low grade B-cell lymphoma MALT type of the duramater: case report

Relatamos um caso raro de linfoma maligno não-Hodgkin, nodular e de baixo grau, tipo MALT, com aspecto morfológico e imuno-histoquímico linfoplasmocitóide (classificação de REAL), de imunofenótipo de linfócitos B e monoclonalidade para a cadeia leve de imunoglobulina Kappa, com índice de proliferação < 10 por cento (baixo grau). O tumor era primitivo da dura-máter parietal esquerda, em mulher de 36 anos de idade, cujos sintomas neurológicos surgiram quatro meses antes da cirurgia. Após a cirurgia, foi tratada com quimioterapia e radioterapia, com bom resultado.