NTRK3-EML4-rearranged spindle cell tumor with co-expression of S100 and CD34: an unusual mesenchymal tumor in the spectrum of the bland-looking spindle cell lesions of the oral cavity.

A novel category of spindle cell tumors characterized by Neurotrophic Tyrosine Receptor Kinase (NTRK) rearrangements with a dual immunoreactivity for S-100 and CD34 has emerged in the last years as a distinct entity among soft tissue neoplasms. These genetic alterations lead to the continuous activation of NTRK genes, driving tumorigenesis and offering a unique prospect for targeted therapy. We herein present a rare case of NTRK3-rearranged spindle cell tumor with a hitherto unreported gene fusion involving the exon 14 of NTRK3 with the exon 2 of Echinoderm Microtubule-Associated Protein-Like 4, arising in the head and neck region. Tumor occurred in a 45-year-old patient who presented with a painful nodule in the oral mucosa. Due to the possibility of personalizing the treatment strategy for such tumors, pathologists should be aware of this emerging group of spindle cell tumors to promptly recognize them even when they occur in uncommon locations, including the oral cavity.

Aging exacerbates oxidative stress and liver fibrosis in an animal model of Down Syndrome.

Down Syndrome (DS) is a common genetic disorder characterized by an extra copy of chromosome 21, leading to dysregulation of various metabolic pathways. Oxidative stress in DS is associated with neurodevelopmental defects, neuronal dysfunction, and a dementia onset resembling Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, chronic oxidative stress contributes to cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers prevalent in DS individuals. This study investigates the impact of ageing on oxidative stress and liver fibrosis using a DS murine model (Ts2Cje mice). Our results show that DS mice show increased liver oxidative stress and impaired antioxidant defenses, as evidenced by reduced glutathione levels and increased lipid peroxidation. Therefore, DS liver exhibits an altered inflammatory response and mitochondrial fitness as we showed by assaying the expression of HMOX1, CLPP, and the heat shock proteins Hsp90 and Hsp60. DS liver also displays dysregulated lipid metabolism, indicated by altered expression of PPARα, PPARγ, FATP5, and CTP2. Consistently, these changes might contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease development, a condition characterized by liver fat accumulation. Consistently, histological analysis of DS liver reveals increased fibrosis and steatosis, as showed by Col1a1 increased expression, indicative of potential progression to liver cirrhosis. Therefore, our findings suggest an increased risk of liver pathologies in DS individuals, particularly when combined with the higher prevalence of obesity and metabolic dysfunctions in DS patients. These results shed a light on the liver's role in DS-associated pathologies and suggest potential therapeutic strategies targeting oxidative stress and lipid metabolism to prevent or mitigate liver-related complications in DS individuals.

Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Expression in Lymphomas: State of the Art.

The interaction of programmed death-1 (PD-1) on T lymphocytes with its ligands Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) and Programmed Death Ligand 2 (PD-L2) on tumor cells and/or tumor-associated macrophages results in inhibitory signals to the T-cell receptor pathway, consequently causing tumor immune escape. PD-L1/PD-L2 are currently used as predictive tissue biomarkers in clinical practice. Virtually PD-L1 levels expressed by tumor cells are associated with a good response to immune checkpoint blockade therapies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. These therapies restore T-cell antitumor immune response by releasing T-lymphocytes from the inhibitory effects of tumor cells. Immune checkpoint therapies have completely changed the management of patients with solid cancers. This therapeutic strategy is less used in hematological malignancies, although good results have been achieved in some settings, such as refractory/relapsed classic Hodgkin lymphoma and primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. Variable results have been obtained in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and T-cell lymphomas. Immunohistochemistry represents the main technique for assessing PD-L1 expression on tumor cells. This review aims to describe the current knowledge of PD-L1 expression in various types of lymphomas, focusing on the principal mechanisms underlying PD-L1 overexpression, its prognostic significance and practical issues concerning the evaluation of PD-L1 immunohistochemical results in lymphomas.

Pleural mesothelioma from fluoro-edenite exposure: PACAP and PAC1 receptor. A preliminary report.

Pleural mesothelioma is a devastating malignancy primarily associated with asbestos exposure. However, emerging evidence suggests that exposure to fluoro-edenite fibers, a naturally occurring mineral fiber, can also lead to the development of pleural mesothelioma. In this study, based on the hypothesis that pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and PACAP-preferring receptor (PAC1R) expressions could be dysregulated in pleural mesothelioma samples and that they could potentially act as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, we aimed to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of PACAP and PAC1R in pleural biopsies from patients with pleural mesothelioma exposed to fluoro-edenite fibers. A total of 12 patients were included in this study, and their biopsies were processed for immunohistochemical analysis to evaluate the expression of PACAP and its receptor. The study revealed a correlation between the overexpression of PACAP and PAC1R and shorter overall survival in patients with malignant mesothelioma. These findings suggest that PACAP and PAC1R expression levels could serve as potential prognostic biomarkers for malignant mesothelioma. Furthermore, the immunohistochemical analysis of PACAP and PAC1R may provide valuable information for clinicians to guide therapeutic decisions and identify patients with poorer prognosis.

Primary angiitis of the central nervous system.

Primary angiitis of the central nervous system (CNS) is an uncommon inflammatory disorder, with highly variable clinical presentation. It needs to be differentiated from several mimickers, such as CNS involvement in systemic vasculitides, connective tissue disorders, infectious disease, and leukodystrophy as well as neoplastic diseases. The diagnosis requires a combination of clinical and laboratory investigations, multimodal imaging, and histopathological examination, which should be available for confirmation. In the present paper, the histopathological features of primary angiitis of the CNS are described and highlighted to help pathologists avoid misdiagnosis of a treatable acquired disease.

Concordance between CDKN2A homozygous deletion and MTAP immunohistochemical loss in fluoroedenite-induced pleural mesothelioma: An immunohistochemical and molecular study on a single-institution series.

Fluoroedenite-induced pleural mesothelioma (FE-induced-PM) is a rare and small subset of PM that shares with its asbestos-induced counterpart the same aggressive biological behavior and poor prognosis, but that differs from it from a pathogenetic point of view as it is associated with exposure to fluoroedenite, a carcinogenic agent that shows similarities with tremolite amphibolic asbestos fibers. Although it has been demonstrated that asbestos-induced PMs frequently harbor CDKN2A homozygous deletion and that the immunohistochemical loss of MTAP may represent a cheap and reliable surrogate marker for this molecular alteration, little is known about the molecular landscape and the reliability of MTAP immunohistochemistry in this peculiar subset of PM. The study herein presented investigated the prevalence of CDKN2A homozygous deletion and its concordance with MTAP immunohistochemical status on a cohort of 10 cases of FE-induced-PM from patients with environmental exposure to FE fibers, who were residents in the small town of Biancavilla (Sicily, Italy) or nearby areas. CDKN2A homozygous deletions were found in 3 out of 10 cases (30%) and all these cases showed concomitant cytoplasmic loss of MTAP with a concordance rate of 100%. Despite the relatively low number of cases included in our series, MTAP immunohistochemistry seemed to represent a reliable immunohistochemical surrogate marker of CDKNA homozygous deletion even in this subset of PMs.

CYP7B1 as a Biomarker for Prostate Cancer Risk and Progression: Metabolic and Oncogenic Signatures (Diagnostic Immunohistochemistry Analysis by Tissue Microarray in Prostate Cancer Patients-Diamond Study).

We aimed to analyze the association between CYP7B1 and prostate cancer, along with its association with proteins involved in cancer and metabolic processes. A retrospective analysis was performed on 390 patients with prostate cancer (PC) or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We investigated the interactions between CYP7B1 expression and proteins associated with PC and metabolic processes, followed by an analysis of the risk of biochemical recurrence based on CYP7B1 expression. Of the 139 patients with elevated CYP7B1 expression, 92.8% had prostate cancer. Overall, no increased risk of biochemical recurrence was associated with CYP7B1 expression. However, in a non-diabetic subgroup analysis, higher CYP7B1 expression indicated a higher risk of biochemical recurrence, with an HR of 1.78 (CI: 1.0-3.2, p = 0.05). PC is associated with elevated CYP7B1 expression. In a subgroup analysis of non-diabetic patients, elevated CYP7B1 expression was associated with an increased risk of biochemical recurrence, suggesting increased cancer aggressiveness.

Pharmacological enhancement of cholinergic neurotransmission alleviates neuroinflammation and improves functional outcomes in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting the elderly population worldwide. Due to the multifactorial nature of the disease, involving impairment of cholinergic neurotransmission and immune system, previous attempts to find effective treatments have faced challenges. Methods: In such scenario, we attempted to investigate the effects of alpha-glyceryl-phosphoryl-choline (α-GPC), a cholinomimetic molecule, on neuroinflammation and memory outcome in the triple transgenic mouse model of AD (3xTg-AD). Mice were enrolled at 4 months of age, treated orally with α-GPC dissolved in drinking water at a concentration resulting in an average daily dose of 100 mg/kg for 8 months and sacrificed at 12 months of age. Thereafter, inflammatory markers, as well as cognitive parameters, were measured. Results: Chronic α-GPC treatment reduced accumulation of amyloid deposits and led to a substantial re-balance of the inflammatory response of resident innate immune cells, astrocytes and microglia. Specifically, fluorescent immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis showed that α-GPC contributed to reduction of cortical and hippocampal reactive astrocytes and pro-inflammatory microglia, concurrently increasing the expression of anti-inflammatory molecules. Whereas α-GPC beneficially affect the synaptic marker synaptophysin in the hippocampus. Furthermore, we observed that α-GPC was effective in restoring cognitive dysfunction, as measured by the Novel Object Recognition test, wherein 3xTg-AD mice treated with α-GPC significantly spent more time exploring the novel object compared to 3xTg-AD untreated mice. Discussion: In conclusion, chronic treatment with α-GPC exhibited a significant anti-inflammatory activity and sustained the key function of hippocampal synapses, crucial for the maintenance of a regular cognitive status. In light of our results, we suggest that α-GPC could be exploited as a promising therapeutic approach in early phases of AD.

Chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms with concomitant CALR mutation and BCR::ABL1 translocation: diagnostic and therapeutic implications of a rare hybrid disease.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are subdivided into Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Ph-negative MPNs. BCR::ABL1 translocation is essential for the development and diagnosis of CML; on the other hand, the majority of Ph-negative MPNs are characterized by generally mutually exclusive mutations of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), calreticulin (CALR), or thrombopoietin receptor/myeloproliferative leukemia (MPL). CALR mutations have been described essentially in JAK2 and MPL wild-type essential thrombocythemia and primary myelofibrosis. Rarely coexisting CALR and MPL mutations have been found in Ph-negative MPNs. BCR::ABL1 translocation and JAK2 mutations were initially considered mutually exclusive genomic events, but a discrete number of cases with the combination of these genetic alterations have been reported. The presence of BCR::ABL1 translocation with a coexisting CALR mutation is even more uncommon. Herein, starting from a routinely diagnosed case of CALR-mutated primary myelofibrosis subsequently acquiring BCR::ABL1 translocation, we performed a comprehensive review of the literature, discussing the clinicopathologic and molecular features, as well as the outcome and treatment of cases with BCR::ABL1 and CALR co-occurrence.

Plectin plays a role in the migration and volume regulation of astrocytes: a potential biomarker of glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: The expression of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) and intermediate filament (IF) proteins is altered in malignant glioblastoma (GBM), yet the expression of the major IF-based cytolinker, plectin (PLEC), and its contribution to GBM migration and invasiveness, are unknown. Here, we assessed the contribution of plectin in affecting the distribution of plasmalemmal AQP4 aggregates, migratory properties, and regulation of cell volume in astrocytes. METHODS: In human GBM, the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), AQP4 and PLEC transcripts was analyzed using publicly available datasets, and the colocalization of PLEC with AQP4 and with GFAP was determined by immunohistochemistry. We performed experiments on wild-type and plectin-deficient primary and immortalized mouse astrocytes, human astrocytes and permanent cell lines (U-251 MG and T98G) derived from a human malignant GBM. The expression of plectin isoforms in mouse astrocytes was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. Transfection, immunolabeling and confocal microscopy were used to assess plectin-induced alterations in the distribution of the cytoskeleton, the influence of plectin and its isoforms on the abundance and size of plasmalemmal AQP4 aggregates, and the presence of plectin at the plasma membrane. The release of plectin from cells was measured by ELISA. The migration and dynamics of cell volume regulation of immortalized astrocytes were assessed by the wound-healing assay and calcein labeling, respectively. RESULTS: A positive correlation was found between plectin and AQP4 at the level of gene expression and protein localization in tumorous brain samples. Deficiency of plectin led to a decrease in the abundance and size of plasmalemmal AQP4 aggregates and altered distribution and bundling of the cytoskeleton. Astrocytes predominantly expressed P1c, P1e, and P1g plectin isoforms. The predominant plectin isoform associated with plasmalemmal AQP4 aggregates was P1c, which also affected the mobility of astrocytes most prominently. In the absence of plectin, the collective migration of astrocytes was impaired and the dynamics of cytoplasmic volume changes in peripheral cell regions decreased. Plectin's abundance on the plasma membrane surface and its release from cells were increased in the GBM cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: Plectin affects cellular properties that contribute to the pathology of GBM. The observed increase in both cell surface and released plectin levels represents a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in the diagnostics and treatment of GBMs.

H3 K27M mutation in rosette-forming glioneuronal tumors: a potential diagnostic pitfall.

According to the fifth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of the central nervous system (CNS), diffuse midline glioma H3 K27-altered is a grade 4 infiltrative glioma that arises from midline anatomical structures and is characterized by the loss of H3 K27me3 and co-occurring H3 K27M mutation or EZHIP overexpression. However, the H3 K27M mutation has also been observed in circumscribed gliomas and glioneuronal tumors arising in midline anatomical structures, which may result in diagnostic pitfalls.Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor (RGNT) is a CNS WHO grade 1 neoplasm that histologically features neurocytic and glial components and originates in midline anatomical structures.This study aimed to assess whether RGNTs, similar to other midline tumors, may exhibit immunohistochemical loss of H3 K27me3 and harbor the H3 K27M mutation.All seven analyzed RGNTs displayed immunohistochemical loss of H3 K27me3 in all tumor cells or H3 K27me3 mosaic immunostaining. In one case, H3 K27me3 loss was associated with the H3 K27M mutation, whereas the other six cases did not exhibit any H3 mutations or EZHIP overexpression. During a follow-up period of 23 months, the H3 K27M-mutant case remained unchanged in size despite partial resection, indicating that the H3 mutation may not confer higher biological aggressiveness to RGNT.The immunohistochemical loss of H3 K27me3 co-occurring with the H3 K27M mutation may result in the potential misdiagnosis of RGNT, especially in cases of small biopsy specimens consisting of only the glial component.

Tumor-associated microenvironment, PD-L1 expression and their relationship with immunotherapy in glioblastoma, IDH-wild type: A comprehensive review with emphasis on the implications for neuropathologists.

Although novel knowledge has been acquired on the molecular landscape of glioblastoma (GBM), a relatively few steps forward have been made regarding its therapy. With the increasing use of novel immunotherapeutic drugs capable of stimulating the antitumor inflammatory response, in the last decades numerous studies aimed to characterize the tumor-associated microenvironment (TME) and its relationship with the immunogenicity of GBM. In this regard, although the tumor-associated microglia and macrophages (TAMs) and PD-L1/PD-1 axis have been emerged as one of the most relevant components of the GBM TME and one of the potential molecular pathways targetable with immunotherapy, respectively. It has been supposed that TAMs may acquire different phenotypes, switching from M1 to M2 phenotypes, with tumor-suppressive and tumor-stimulating role depending on the different surrounding conditions. PD-L1 is a type 1 transmembrane protein ligand expressed by T-cells, B-cells and antigen-presenting cells, with a main inhibitory checkpoint role on tumor immune regulation. While PD-L1 immunohistochemical expression has been extensively investigated in many cancers, its usefulness in the evaluation of GBM response rates to immunotherapy and its standardized evaluation by immunohistochemistry are still debated. The present review paper focuses on the current "state of the art" about the relationship between TME, PD-L1/PD-1 pathway and immunotherapy in GBM, also providing neuropathologists with an updated guide about the clinical trials conducted with PD-L1 and PD-1 inhibitors.

Quantitative Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging: Is There a Prognostic Role in Noninvasively Predicting the Histopathologic Type of Uveal Melanomas?

Histopathologically, uveal melanomas (UMs) can be classified as spindle cell, mixed cell and epithelioid cell type, with the latter having a more severe prognosis. The aim of our study was to assess the correlation between the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and the histologic type of UMs in order to verify the role of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) as a noninvasive prognostic marker. A total of 26 patients with UMs who had undergone MRI and subsequent primary enucleation were retrospectively selected. The ADC of the tumor was compared with the histologic type. The data were compared using both one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (assessing the three histologic types separately) and the independent t-test (dichotomizing histologic subtypes as epithelioid versus non-epithelioid). Histologic type was present as follows: the epithelioid cell was n = 4, and the spindle cell was n = 11, the mixed cell type was n = 11. The mean ADC was 1.06 ± 0.24 × 10-3 mm2/s in the epithelioid cells, 0.98 ± 0.19 × 10-3 mm2/s in the spindle cells and 0.96 ± 0.26 × 10-3 mm2/s in the mixed cell type. No significant difference in the mean ADC value of the histopathologic subtypes was found, either when assessing the three histologic types separately (p = 0.76) or after dichotomizing the histologic subtypes as epithelioid and non-epithelioid (p = 0.82). DWI-ADC is not accurate enough to distinguish histologic types of UMs.

Correction: Carota et al. Neuroprotective Role of α-Lipoic Acid in Iron-Overload-Mediated Toxicity and Inflammation in In Vitro and In Vivo Models. Antioxidants 2022, 11, 1596.

In the original publication [...].

Brain Metastases from Breast Cancer Histologically Exhibit Solid Growth Pattern with at Least Focal Comedonecrosis: A Histopathologic Study on a Monocentric Series of 30 Cases.

Since there are no morphological clues capable of making a pathologist suspect a possible mammary origin of a metastatic lesion without adequate clinical information, the histologic diagnosis of brain metastasis from BC is still based on the immunohistochemical expression of mammary gland markers such as GATA-3, ERs, PgRs and HER-2. The present retrospective study aimed to select purely morphological features capable of suggesting the mammary origin of a metastatic carcinoma in the brain. The following histological features were collected from a series of 30 cases of brain metastases from breast cancer: (i) a solid growth pattern; (ii) the presence of comedonecrosis; and (iii) glandular differentiation. Our results showed that most cases histologically exhibited a solid growth pattern with at least focal comedonecrosis, producing an overall morphology closely reminiscent of mammary high-grade ductal carcinoma in situ. Although the above-mentioned morphological parameters are not strictly specific to a mammary origin, they may have an important diagnostic utility for leading pathologists to suspect a possible breast primary tumor and to include GATA-3, ERs, PgRs and HER-2 in the immunohistochemical panel.

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILS) and PD-L1 Expression in Breast Cancer: A Review of Current Evidence and Prognostic Implications from Pathologist's Perspective.

With the rise of novel immunotherapies able to stimulate the antitumor immune response, increasing literature concerning the immunogenicity of breast cancer has been published in recent years. Numerous clinical studies have been conducted in order to identify novel biomarkers that could reflect the immunogenicity of BC and predict response to immunotherapy. In this regard, TILs have emerged as an important immunological biomarker related to the antitumor immune response in BC. TILs are more frequently observed in triple-negative breast cancer and HER2+ subtypes, where increased TIL levels have been linked to a better response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and improved survival. PD-L1 is a type 1 transmembrane protein ligand expressed on T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and antigen-presenting cells and is considered a key inhibitory checkpoint involved in cancer immune regulation. PD-L1 immunohistochemical expression in breast cancer is observed in about 10-30% of cases and is extremely variable based on tumor stage and molecular subtypes. Briefly, TNBC shows the highest percentage of PD-L1 positivity, followed by HER2+ tumors. On the other hand, PD-L1 is rarely expressed (0-10% of cases) in hormone-receptor-positive BC. The prognostic role of PD-L1 expression in BC is still controversial since different immunohistochemistry (IHC) clones, cut-off points, and scoring systems have been utilized across published studies. In the present paper, an extensive review of the current knowledge of the immune landscape of BC is provided. TILS and PD-L1 expression across different BC subtypes are discussed, providing a guide for their pathological assessment and reporting.

Skin Involvement by Hematological Neoplasms with Blastic Morphology: Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, Blastoid Variant of Mantle Cell Lymphoma and Differential Diagnoses.

Hematological neoplasms sharing a blastic morphology may involve the skin. The skin may be either the primary site of occurrence of hematological malignancies with blastic features or cutaneous lesions are the first manifestation of an underlying systemic malignancy. The assessment of skin biopsies of hematological neoplasms with blastic features poses diagnostic problems and requires expert hematopathologists considering a wide range of differential diagnoses. The precise diagnosis of diseases sharing blastic features but with different outcomes and requiring distinct therapies is essential for patient management. The present paper mainly focuses on cutaneous involvement of the blastoid variant of mantle cell lymphoma and lymphoblastic lymphoma of B-cell or T-cell origin. The relevant literature has been reviewed and the clinical aspects, pathological features, prognosis, and therapy of both blastoid mantle cell lymphoma and lymphoblastic lymphoma involving the skin are discussed. A focus on other hematological entities with blastic features, which may involve the skin, to be taken into consideration in differential diagnosis is also given.

Expression of stathmin in asbestos-like fibers-induced mesothelioma: A preliminary report.

BACKGROUND: Mesothelioma is strongly associated with exposure to asbestos fibers, however, recent studies have also linked exposure to "naturally occurring asbestos" fibers with this disease. Fluoro-edenite, a silicate mineral found in the southeast of Biancavilla (Sicily, Italy), has been identified as a potential risk factor for mesothelioma. Unfortunately, this cancer often has a poor prognosis, and current diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are inadequate. Histological subtype, gender, and age at diagnosis are the most significant parameters for mesothelioma. Stathmin, a cytosolic protein that regulates cell growth and migration and is overexpressed in many human malignancies, has not yet been linked to mesothelioma survival or clinical-pathological variables. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of stathmin in ten mesothelioma tissue samples with available clinical and follow-up data. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Paraffin-embedded tissue samples from ten mesothelioma patients were processed for immunohistochemical analyses to evaluate stathmin expression. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that stathmin overexpression is associated with shorter overall survival in patients with mesothelioma. Furthermore, stathmin expression was significantly correlated with the survival time of mesothelioma patients. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that stathmin expression may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for mesothelioma. This biomarker could be used to promptly identify patients with poor prognosis and to guide clinicians in the selection of treatment options.