Immunohistochemical evaluation of cytoplasmically localized prostate-specific antigen expression in prostate cancer cells using computer-based image analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the densitometric expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in cytoplasm of normal prostate glandular cells and prostate cancer cells of various Gleason's pattern. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 96 microphotographs showing neoplastic (48) and benign (48) prostatic tissues obtained from 48 patients were included in the study. The specimens were formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, stained with hematoxylin-eosin and immunostained with anti-PSA antibody and DAB-based detection system. The ImageJ software was used as an image analysis system. With this system the images of glandular tissue were divided into individual cells using the Voronoi tessellation method. The crude and standardized optical densities as well as the basic morphometric features of cells were measured. RESULTS: There is a strong statistically significant correlation between the value of optical density of anti-PSA immunostained prostate cancer cells and the level of histological differentiation (Gleason's pattern). Gleason pattern 5 cell optical density histogram was bimodal, which means that there are 2 cell populations which are statistically significantly different. CONCLUSION: The Voronoi tessellation is an effective method for dividing the immunostained images with cytoplasmically-located antigens into single cells.

Extracerebral metastases of glioblastoma have a different vasculature than primary tumour. A case report of glioblastoma extracranial metastases.

The paper presents a case report of a 38-year-old female suffering from metastatic glioblastoma in the jugular lymph node that developed 9 months after craniotomy and tumorectomy in the left temporal region of the brain. The histological evaluation of metastatic tumour reveals lower density of vasculature as well as less significant pathologic changes in blood vessels morphology in comparison to primary tumour. Moreover, in this report we present cytological characteristics of the material obtained by fine needle aspiration of the metastatic mass.

Immunohistochemical detection of angiotensin AT 1 and AT 2 receptors in prostate cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The human prostate gland contains all the compounds of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), including AT1 and AT2 angiotensin receptors. The role of local RAS in the prostate pathology is recently discussed. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of AT1 and AT2 expressions in human prostate cancers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The investigation was performed in 20 paraffin-embedded needle biopsy specimens from routine diagnostic prostate cancer biopsies. The specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and immunostained with anti-AT1 and anti-AT2 antibodies. For visualization of primary antibodies, the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase technique was applied. The expression of both receptor proteins was evaluated quantitatively using image analysis method. RESULTS: The positive immunostaining with both anti- AT1 and anti-AT2 antibodies can be found in stromal as well as epithelial structures. The results of quantitative evaluation showed the positive correlation between AT1 and AT2 expressions in neoplastic epithelium and overexpression of both AT1 and AT2 in neoplastic epithelium of Gleason grade 2, but not in cancerous structures of Gleason grades 3-5. CONCLUSIONS: The data on AT1 and AT2 receptor expressions may suggest the involvement of RAS in prostate cancerogenesis. Moreover, the persistence of AT1 receptors in prostate cancer speaks in favor of attempts to use of AT1 receptor blockers (i.e. sartanes) and/or AT2 agonists in prostate cancer prophylaxis and/or treatment.

Quantitative assessment of the clavicle radiostructure as a tool for estimation of the osteopathic effect of breast cancer chemotherapy.

Radiological structure (trabeculation) of the clavicle was quantitatively evaluated using the chest X-ray images obtained in 36 pre-menopausal women subjected to CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil) chemotherapy. For comparison, the values of the quantitative radiostructural indices were estimated from the X-ray images obtained in 65 age-matched pre-menopausal healthy women and 19 post-menopausal women with clinically confirmed osteoporosis. For the analyses, the high-quality routine chest P-A films were used in which the central segment of the clavicle was well visualised. Evaluation of the skeletal radiostructure was carried out using the original software developed by K.W. Zielinski which, in addition to standardising the quality of the image, calculated the structural density as well as the arrangement and mean thickness of the trabeculae. The results demonstrate in a reproducible way that structural density and mean thickness of the clavicular trabeculae were significantly (p < 0.01) lower in pre-menopausal, CMF-treated and post-menopausal, osteoporotic patients than in healthy, control women. Likewise, the relative radiological density of the clavicle was reduced in the former two groups of women as compared to their control counterparts and the difference approached statistical significance. When the X-ray films were compared in each breast cancer patient before and after the chemotherapy the values of all the three parameters were decreased in up to 86% of the treated patients. Overall, the obtained results demonstrate the significant osteopathic side effect of the CMF chemotherapy in pre-menopausal breast cancer patients.