Relationship between human mammaglobin mRNA expression in breast cancer tissue and clinico-pathologic features of the tumors.

Human mammaglobin (hMAM) has recently been recognized as a breast associated glycoprotein. Although the biological role of hMAM is unknown, it has been previously reported that hMAM gene expression is a marker of low biological and clinical aggressiveness of breast cancer (BC). In this study, 148 cases of BC tissues were investigated for hMAM mRNA expression by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In order to evaluate its prognostic value, hMAM was correlated with age of patients, type and size of tumor, nodal stage, histologic grade, c-erbB-2 over expression, Ki67 labelling index, estrogen receptor (ER) status and progesterone receptor (PGR) status. Fisher's exact test was used to examine the association between different parameters and hMAM. hMAM was expressed in 138/148 (93%) of BC tissues examined. Among the 10 hMAM negative cases, 8 were invasive ductal carcinomas (microscopically higher G3 grade) and 2 infiltrating lobular carcinomas. We found a significant association (p = 0.020) between absence of hMAM mRNA and G3 histologic grade but not with any other prognostic parameters studied. The present study indicates that lack of hMAM expression is restricted to the BC with G3 grading. Further studies are needed to clarify the biological basis and the clinical significance of our results.

Human mammaglobin mRNA is a reliable molecular marker for detecting occult breast cancer cells in peripheral blood.

Occult carcinoma cells in peripheral blood of breast cancer (BC) patients is generally associated with poor disease prognosis. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is a sensitive method for revealing rare circulating cancer cells. The target mRNA must be carefully chosen, as it must be expressed only by malignant cells. In this study, we developed a nested RT-PCR assay for mammaglobin (hMAM) and assessed both its specificity and its sensitivity in the detection of cancer cells in peripheral blood of BC patients. hMAM mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in 156/165 (95%) of fresh BC tissues analyzed. All samples from 66 healthy blood donors and 151 patients with benign breast disease were hMAM negative as assessed by nested RT-PCR. In contrast, hMAM was detected in 16/137 (12%) of peripheral blood samples deriving from BC patients: 0/9 in stage 0, 1/50 (2%) in stage I, 3/33 (9%) in stage II, 1/18 (5%) in stage III and 11/27 (41%) in stage IV. Using nested RT-PCR, we were able to amplify hMAM transcript of one tumour cell/10(6) normal cells. Our data demonstrate that hMAM mRNA detection by RT-PCR is a specific assay potentially suitable for identification of occult cancer cells in peripheral blood of BC patients.

Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis in an adult.

We report a very, rare case of idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis (IPH) occurring in a 68 yr old patient. Following alveolar haemorrhage onset, the diagnosis was obtained by a process of elimination, after clinical, endoscopic, cytohistological and laboratory investigations. The immunoglobulin G directed against myeloperoxidase antigen (C-ANCA), which was detected, can be regarded as indicative of an occult vasculitis to be followed up. Current therapy and perspectives for idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis patients are discussed herein.

Chondroid syringoma of the eyelid.

An 81-year-old man underwent excisional biopsy of a big cylindric painless mass of the right lower eyelid, which had been present for over 23 years. Histopathologic and immuno-histochemical examination showed a chondroid syringoma, an uncommon benign neoplasm of possible eccrine sweat gland origin, which occurs generally in the head and neck skin. In the eyelids, it has been previously described as a small nodule in the upper lid. Surgical excision of these tumours is recommendable because malignant transformation is possible, although rare.

Densitometric analysis of the nerve cell population of the inferior olive in aging.

Possible age-related changes in the nerve cell population of the inferior olive were studied through densitometric analysis. The mean area per nerve cell, the reciprocal of the number of cells per unit area, was derived from the distance to closest neighbor in an unselected autopsy series of specimens from 26 subjects without signs of neurological damage, aged 24 to 83 years. Kendall's rank method showed correlation between the mean area per nerve cell and the subjects' ages, with mean areal values decreasing with age. The increase in neuronal density with age was related to changes occurring in the neuropil of the adult. These changes consist of regression of olivocerebellar contacts and loss of supernumerary axonal collaterals, with a resulting decrease in the volume of the whole formation. In addition, the data supported the hypothesis that the nerve cell population of the inferior olive should not decrease with aging.

[Bilateral kidney dysplasia with ascites in premature newborn infant]. / Displasia renale bilaterale con ascite in neonato prematuro.

The case refers to a premature newborn with anhydramnios and related foot malformations, renal dysplasia (Potter II-IV) and marked ascites. Hypoplasia of one umbilical cord artery was also found. Renal dysplasia according to Potter classification was difficult to be assessed being a borderline case between grade II and IV. The mother underwent methimazole and oestroprogestin treatment in the first period of pregnancy.

[Poorly differentiated breast carcinoma with an abundant myoepithelial component: morphologic and immunohistochemical features and mammaglobin gene expression ]. / Carcinoma scarsamente differenziato a ricca componente mioepiteliale della mammella: aspetti morfologici, immunoistochimici ed espressione del gene mammaglobin.

In this report, we describe a case of poorly differentiate myoepithelial cell rich carcinoma in with morphological findings of large poligonal nests with festoon-like pattern sometimes showing central necrosis, reminiscent of a comedo-like pattern and numerous mitoses. Immunohistochemical staining shows positive reaction for cytokeratin AE/1, CAM 5.2, 34 beta E12, vimentin, smooth muscle actin, EMA, S100 protein and oncogene cERB.b2 and negative for estrogen, progesterone, GFAP and chromogranin. Moreover, this carcinoma show the expression of the mammaglobin mRNA, a highly specific marker of breast epithelial cells that it is not expressed in all breast carcinoma.