The role of androgen receptors in vascular and cell proliferation of the prostate adenocarcinomas.

Prostate adenocarcinoma (PA) is by incidence and prognosis a unique model for investigating the biomolecular mechanisms involved in tumor progression. In this study, we analyzed the immunoexpression of androgen receptor (AR), cluster of differentiation 105 (CD105) and Ki67 for 61 cases of PA, in relation to the main clinicopathological parameters of the lesions. The AR scores, CD105 microvessel density (MVD) and Ki67 proliferation index (PI) were significantly higher in patients with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) above 20 ng∕mL, in ductal, colloid and sarcomatoid types of PA, in growth patterns 4-5 or mixed, respectively in the case of high-grade advanced stage tumors, with perineural and vascular invasion, as well as in groups with a reserved prognosis. The results obtained, reflected in the positive linear correlation of AR, CD105 and Ki67 expression, indicate synchronous endocrine, angiogenic and proliferative mechanisms involved in tumor progression, which can be used to optimize the targeted tumor therapy.

Primary malignant melanoma of the bladder - case report and literature overview.

Malignant melanoma is one of the common skin cancers but as a primary cancer localized in urinary bladder is a very rare clinical entity, 0.2% of all melanomas. We report the very rare case of primary malignant melanoma of the bladder in an 80-year-old man. According with our knowledge is the first case of primary malignant melanoma reported in Romania. Only a few percent of malignant melanoma have origin outside the skin. Less than 30 cases of primary bladder melanoma have been reported in the literature. The most common metastasis in urinary bladder comes from breast carcinoma and skin melanoma The tissue examination presents the same futures does not matter if is a primary or secondary malignant melanoma. The ancillary tests like immunohistochemistry help us to do an accurate diagnostic but to discriminate primary vs. metastatic tumor remain an important issue. Usually, the bladder melanoma has an aggressive lethal behavior. Histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry, clinical history, and endoscopic evaluation can provide certain diagnostic features.

Proliferation activity in bladder tumors does not correlate with the pathological grading.

Worldwide, bladder cancer is the seventh most frequent cancer in men and the 17th most frequent cancer in women, respectively. In men, this type of cancer is the second most frequent type of cancer localized in the genitourinary system, after prostate cancer. The incidence of bladder cancer is ever growing and the etiopathogenic factors of bladder cancer are numerous and still not fully understood. Smoking is the most common risk factor incriminated in the onset of urinary tract cancer, the incidence of bladder cancer being directly connected to the smoking duration and the tobacco amount intake. Regarding the histopathological types, more than 90% of bladder cancer is represented by transitional cell carcinomas. Histopathology assessment of bladder cancer is a constant challenge regarding the connection between tumor grading, depth of invasion, extension and clinical prognosis. We evaluated here a number of 32 confirmed bladder tumors and we aimed to find common patterns of expression for markers like cytokeratin 7 (CK7), CK20, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD34, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 2, 8 and 9, as well as for the Ki67 proliferation index. Our study showed that both CK7 and CK20 were present in different tumor areas and tumor gradings, MMP9 was more constantly expressed compared to the more variable expression of MMPs 2 and 8, vascular densities did not seem to increase in high-grade invasive tumors compared to low-grade tumors. Interestingly, while high Ki67 proliferating indexes were present especially in high-grade superficially tumors, compared to low-grade papillary tumors; this correlation was inversed for the advancing edges of the tumor. This common feature of invasive urothelial tumors will thus require further studies in order to elucidate the cellular signaling pathways by which these tumors increase their overall invasiveness.