Immunocytochemical assessment of sigma-1 receptor and human sterol isomerase in breast cancer and their relationship with a series of prognostic factors.

The purpose of this study was to immunocytochemically investigate two new markers, the sigma-1 receptor and the human sterol isomerase (hSI), in comparison with a series of clinicopathological and immunocytochemical prognostic factors in a trial including 95 patients with operable primary breast cancers. Our results showed no statistically significant relationship between these two markers and the age of the patients, their menopausal status, the tumour size and its histological grade, the nodal status and the expression of the Ki-67 proliferative marker. However, we evidenced a close correlation between the sigma-1 receptor expression and the hormonal receptor positivity (P = 0.008), essentially due to a link with the progesterone receptor status (P = 0.01). By contrast there was an inverse relationship between hSI expression and the oestrogen receptor and/or progesterone receptor positivity (P = 0.098). A significant relationship was shown between both the sigma-1 receptor, hSI expressions and Bcl2 expression, with P= 0.017 and 0.035 respectively. We also assessed whether the expression of the sigma-1 receptor or hSI might be linked with disease-free survival (DFS) and found that the presence of hSI and the absence of sigma-1 receptor expression were associated with a poorer disease-free survival (P= 0.007). Altogether these results suggest that in primary breast carcinomas in association with the evaluation of the steroid receptor status, the sigma-1 receptor and hSI may be interesting new markers useful to identify those patients who might be able to benefit from an adjuvant therapy.

Liver iron excess in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma developed on viral C cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Liver iron deposits are frequent in viral C cirrhotic patients but their role is not well defined. AIMS: To investigate the effect of liver iron excess on the prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with viral C cirrhosis. METHODS: Hepatic iron was evaluated retrospectively using a semiquantitative method in liver biopsies of 104 viral C cirrhotic patients, 48 with HCC and 56 controls (HCC free). Corrected total iron score (0-60) was defined by the sum of three scores: hepatocytic iron score (0-36), sinusoidal iron score (0-12), and portal iron score (0-12), multiplied by 3/3, 2/3, or 1/3 according to the heterogeneous iron localisation in the nodules. RESULTS: After adjustment for known risk factors for HCC, regression analysis showed that iron deposits (corrected total iron score >0) were more frequent in HCC patients than in controls (odds ratio 4.94; 95% confidence interval 1.59-15. 32; p=0.0056). The median of corrected total iron score was significantly higher in HCC patients than in controls (odds ratio 1. 092; 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.13; p=0.021). This liver iron overload was sinusoidal (odds ratio 5.2; 95% confidence interval 1. 82-15.11; p=0.0022). CONCLUSIONS: Liver iron deposition was more frequent and more important in viral C cirrhotic patients with HCC than in HCC free controls. Liver iron overload seems to contribute to the development of HCC in patients with viral C cirrhosis.

[Urogenital amyloidosis: clinico-pathological study of 8 cases]. / Amylose urogénitale: étude anatomo-clinique à propos de 8 cas.

Amyloidosis of the genito-urinary tract is uncommon. We report 8 cases, often misdiagnosed as a neoplastic process (6/8). Amyloidosis was localized in the bladder (3 cases), in the ureter (1 case) and in the prostate and/or seminal vesicles (4 cases). The amyloid protein was characterized in 7 cases by immunohistochemistry. Among the bladder and ureter amyloidosis, 2 cases were classified as AL lambda amyloidosis and one case as AA amyloidosis in a patient with long history of chronic arthritis. In the fourth case, the deposits could not be identified. Nevertheless an AL amyloidosis might be suggested. Two cases of prostate and/or seminal vesicles amyloidosis were stained with an anti-B2M antibody, in hemodialyzed patients. The 2 others, positive with the anti-Transthyretina antibody, were classified as senile amyloidosis. This small series illustrated the heterogeneous pathogenic types of amyloidosis in the urogenital tract and emphasized the interest of immunohistochemistry to identify the chemical composition of these deposits.