EWSR1 gene rearrangement occurs in a subset of cutaneous myoepithelial tumors: a study of 18 cases.

Cutaneous myoepithelial tumors form a clinicopathological spectrum ranging from mixed tumor to myoepithelioma and myoepithelial carcinoma. Recently, EWSR1 rearrangement has been described in a subset of soft tissue myoepithelial tumors, whereas the cutaneous counterparts showed this aberration in a minority of cases. This raises the question whether cutaneous myoepithelial tumors have comparable genetic alterations. We examined 18 cases of cutaneous myoepithelial tumors arising in 7 female and 11 male patients (age range, 34-86 years; mean, 58 years). Eight mixed tumors occurred at the head, and one at the scrotum. Six myoepitheliomas arose at the extremities, and one case each at the back and head. One myoepithelial carcinoma occurred at the cheek. The tumor size ranged from 0.3 to 1.7 cm (mean, 1.0 cm). All mixed tumors and three myoepitheliomas were limited to the dermis. Four myoepitheliomas and the myoepithelial carcinoma involved the subcutis. Mixed tumors and myoepitheliomas were composed of myoepithelial cells with a variable cytomorphology, architecture and stromal background. Ductal structures were seen by definition in mixed tumors. The myoepithelial carcinoma represented an infiltrative dermal neoplasm consisting of atypical spindle cells. Immunohistochemically, all cases tested were positive for EMA and calponin, whereas S100, CK, ASMA and GFAP were expressed in 90%, 80%, 78% and 50% of the cases tested, respectively. By fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis, 7 out of 16 cases (44%) exhibited EWSR1 rearrangement. Four of them were mixed tumors, two were myoepitheliomas and one was a myoepithelial carcinoma, confirming that these lesions represent a spectrum of dermal myoepithelial tumors. Follow-up information, available for five patients (including the patient with a myoepithelial carcinoma), revealed no evidence of disease in all cases (range, 6-72 months). Our study provides a genetic relationship of myoepithelial tumors of the skin with their counterparts in soft tissue, bone and visceral localization by sharing EWSR1 rearrangement.

Human cytomegalovirus paralyzes macrophage motility through down-regulation of chemokine receptors, reorganization of the cytoskeleton, and release of macrophage migration inhibitory factor.

Macrophages contribute to host defense and to the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Conversely, they are important targets of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a herpesvirus that has evolved many strategies to modulate the host immune response. Because an efficient macrophage trafficking is required for triggering an adequate immune response, we investigated the effects exerted by HCMV infection on macrophage migratory properties. By using endotheliotropic strains of HCMV, we obtained high rates of productively infected human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). Twenty-four hours after infection, MDM showed reduced polar morphology and became unable to migrate in response to inflammatory and lymphoid chemokines, bacterial products and growth factors, despite being viable and metabolically active. Although chemotactic receptors were only partially affected, HCMV induced a dramatic reorganization of the cytoskeleton characterized by rupture of the microtubular network, stiffness of the actin fibers, and collapse of the podosomes. Furthermore, supernatants harvested from infected MDM contained high amounts of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and were capable to block the migration of neighboring uninfected MDM. Because immunodepletion of MIF from the conditioned medium completely restored MDM chemotaxis, we could show for the first time a functional role of MIF as an inhibitor of macrophage migration in the context of HCMV infection. Our findings reveal that HCMV uses different mechanisms to interfere with movement and positioning of macrophages, possibly leading to an impairment of antiviral responses and to an enhancement of the local inflammation.