Detection of p53 and Bcl-2 expression in cutaneous hemangioma through the quantum dot technique.

Hemangioma is one of the most common types of infantile vascular benign tumor. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and tumor protein p53 (p53) in the proliferation and apoptosis of hemangioma cells. A total of 38 paraffin-embedded hemangioma specimens (16 males and 22 females) and another 5 paraffin-embedded healthy surrounding tissue samples, collected between January 2007 and December 2010, were obtained from the Department of Pathology at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (Wuhan, China). Immunohistochemistry, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and quantum dot double staining were used to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Bcl-2 and p53 in hemangioma and healthy surrounding skin tissue samples. All hemangioma specimens were classified into proliferative or the involuting stage hemangioma according to Mulliken's criteria and their expression of PCNA. The results of the quantum dot double staining were analyzed using a multi-spectral imaging system. One-way analysis of the variance and the Student-Newman-Keuls q test were performed to statistically analyze the data. There were 24 cases of proliferative stage and 14 cases of involuting stage hemangioma among the specimens. Immunohistochemical analysis results indicated a high expression of Bcl-2 and p53 in proliferative stage hemangioma tissue samples, and low expression in involuting stage hemangioma and healthy tissue samples. Statistical analysis of the results from quantum dot double staining demonstrated that the expression of Bcl-2 and p53 in proliferative hemangioma was significantly increased compared with that in involuting stage specimens (P<0.05) and healthy tissue samples (P<0.05). No significant difference in Bcl-2 and p53 expression was identified between the involuting hemangioma and healthy surrounding tissue samples. The higher expression of Bcl-2 and p53 in proliferative hemangioma suggests that Bcl-2 may cause an imbalance between endothelial cell proliferation and apoptosis through the inhibition of endothelial cell apoptosis. Furthermore, p53 may promote the proliferation of endothelial cells in proliferative hemangioma.

Study on extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 protein expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma using a quantum dot-based immunofluorescence technique.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 protein expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma with lymph node metastasis (LNM), as well as the correlation between the two types of protein expression. A quantum dot-based immunofluorescence technique was used to detect EMMPRIN and HER-2 protein expression in 75 papillary thyroid carcinoma cases (including 70 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues and 5 cases of peri-tumor tissues). The positive rate and expression of EMMPRIN and HER-2 were compared and observed. The positive rate of EMMPRIN was 75.71% in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues and 20.00% in peri-tumor tissues (P<0.05). The positive rate of HER-2 was 45.71% in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues and 0% in peri-tumor tissues (P>0.05). The expression of EMMPRIN and HER-2 in papillary thyroid carcinoma was significantly associated with LNM (P<0.05). In addition, in the 70 papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues, the expression of EMMPRIN and HER-2 was positively and significantly correlated. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the co-evolution of EMMPRIN and HER-2 may promote the occurrence and development of papillary thyroid carcinoma and LNM.

[Expression and clinical significance of cyclin H and CDK7 in human hemangiomas].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of cyclin H and cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) in human hemangiomas. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry technique was used to measure the expression of cyclin H and CDK7 proteins in proliferative, involuting hemangiomas and normal skin tissues. Immunohistochemical technique for factor VIII-related antigen was used to prove that the cells which expressed cyclin H and CDK7 were endothelial cells. Average optical density and positive area of the expression of cyclin H and CDK7 proteins in proliferative, involuting hemangiomas and normal skin tissues were measured by image analysis (HPIAS-1000). RESULTS: The expression of cyclin H and CDK7 protein in proliferating hemangiomas was significantly higher than that in involuting hemangiomas and normal skin tissues (P < 0.01). But no significant difference was found in the expression of cyclin H and CDK7 protein between involuting hemangiomas and normal skin tissues (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: cyclin H and CDK7 may play an important role in the generation and development of human hemangiomas.

[The expression of p73 and c-fos protein in hemangioma and its significance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of p73 and c-fos protein and its significance in the development of children hemangioma. METHODS: The quantitative expressions of p73 and c-fos protein in hemangioma and normal skin were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The expressions of p73 and c-fos protein were strong in proliferative hemangioma while they were very weak in involutional hemangioma and normal skin. There were significant differences between the proliferative and involutional hemangioma or the normal skin in the expressions of p73 and c-fos (P < 0.01). No statistical significances of p73 or c-fos P73 expressions were observed between involutional hemangioma and normal skin (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: P73 and c-fos may play an important role in the development and involution of skin hemangioma.

[Investigation of the influence of nitric oxide on the survival of a random pattern skin flap].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of nitric oxide concentration in the distal portion of a random pattern skin flap and the influence of the exogenous L-arginine on the survival of the random pattern skin flap. METHODS: A random pattern skin flap (7 cm x 2 cm) was cranially designed and elevated on the back of a Wistar rat. An image analysis technology was used to evaluate the survival rate of the skin flap, while a biochemistry method was used to test the concentrations of the NO in the tissue. RESULTS: The survival area of the flap in the L-arginine-treated group was significantly enlarged (63.83 +/- 5.13)% (P < 0.01) in seven days postoperatively, compared with the control group (43.26 +/- 2.86)%. The NO concentration in the tissue was no statistic difference between all of the groups immediately after the operation (P > 0.05). But, the NO concentration in the control was decreasing at the beginning and then increasing slightly to reach the high level in 12 hours after the operation. It was thereafter slumped down to the baseline in 72 hours after the surgery. Although the changes in the L-arginine-treated group were quite similar to the control excepting of the extent, the NO concentration was kept in a higher level in the sequential time after the operation (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The NO concentration in skin flap tissue after the elevation was going up slightly for a short time. The exogenous L-arginine could promote the NO concentration in the random pattern skin flap to protect it from ischemic injury.