Protein expression pattern of calcium-responsive transactivator in early postnatal and adult testes.

Calcium-responsive transactivator (CREST), a nuclear protein highly expressed in postmitotic neurons, is involved in the regulation of cell cycle, differentiation and dendritic development of neuronal cells. Its mRNA has been detected in the testis of adult rat, whilst its protein expression and distribution pattern in the testis remain to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the distribution of CREST in the adult testes of both rats and human as well as the expression pattern of CREST in the testes of postnatal developing rats. In the adult testes of both human and rats, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that CREST was selectively distributed in the mature Sertoli cells but not in the spermatogenic cells. In the testes of postnatal developmental rats, CREST was expressed not only in Sertoli cells but also in the gonocytes and spermatogenic cells at the initial stage of spermatogenic cell differentiation. CREST immunoreactivity continued to increase in Sertoli cells during differentiation, reaching its peak in adulthood. However, CREST immunostaining intensity dramatically decreased as the spermatogenic cells differentiate, disappearing in the post-differentiation stage. Furthermore, Brg1 and p300, two CREST-interacting proteins ubiquitously expressed in the body, are found to be colocalized with CREST in the spermatogenic epithelial cells including Sertoli cells. The unique expression pattern of CREST in developing testis suggests that CREST might play regulatory roles in the differentiation of spermatogenic epithelial cells. The Sertoli cell-specific expression of CREST in the adulthood hints that CREST might be a novel biomarker for the mature Sertoli cells.

Clinicopathologic features of invasive breast carcinoma with dermatopathic lymphadenitis: a retrospective analysis.

PURPOSE: To understand and explore the clinical manifestations, pathologic features, immunohistochemical analysis, treatment, and prognosis of dermatopathic lymphadenitis (DPL) and review the literature. METHODS: Lymph node specimens were collected from 10 patients with DPL at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from 2016 to 2019. We identified 3 patients with invasive breast carcinoma with DPL. We examined 41 axillary lymph nodes from the 3 patients, and only 3 lymph nodes showed DPL. Samples were analyzed by paraffin embedding and sectioning and hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The lymph node cortex and medulla were generally maintained, and lymphoid follicles were atrophic. Irregularly shaped and distributed patches in the subcapsular lymphatic sinusoid and paracortical areas palely stained were observed. Melanin was deposited in the cytoplasm and intercellular spaces. Large cytoplasm-rich cells were also found in the tissue. The boundaries between the cells were unclear, and cytoplasm was bright. Immunohistochemistry of all DPL cases showed CD1a (+) and S-100 (+); some cases were Langerin positive.