Immunohistochemical detection of ras P21 oncoprotein in human skin lesions.

This study was undertaken to investigate the role of the human ras family gene product [P21] in various benign, precancerous and malignant skin lesions. A streptavidin-biotin peroxidase method was performed using the monoclonal antibody (Mab)Y13259 in paraffin tissue sections of a total of 69 skin lesions (5 benign hyperplasias, 12 seborrheic keratoses, 9 solar keratoses, 20 basal cell carcinomas and 23 squamous cell carcinomas). The adjacent normal skin was also studied in all cases. The expression of ras P21 was evaluated and graded in relation to the intensity of cytoplasmic immunostaining and the percentage proportion of positive epidermal cells. The following findings were noted in this study: 1) The positivity of ras P21 increased towards the keratin layer, according to cell maturation, in all normal, hyperplastic and "borderline" lesions, and to a lower degree in the seborrheic ones. 2) Comparing B.C.C. and S.C.C., higher expression was demonstrated in the latter, probably due to the high percentage of the well differentiated component.

Replacement of the uterus by malignant mesothelioma of the peritoneum: a case report.

Malignant mesothelioma of the peritoneum is a rare tumor that must be distinguished from the more common primary peritoneal serous epithelial neoplasms. We report a case of a 66-year-old female presenting with weight loss, anemia, and a large pelvic mass on ultrasound. At laparotomy a large (9 x 6.5 x 3.5 cm) mass in the anatomical position of the uterus was found in the minor pelvis. The uterus, tubes and ovaries could not be identified. Palpable paraaortic lymph nodes and liver nodules were found. Immunohistochemically the tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen and vimentin-CEA, but S-100 protein and Leu-M1 were negative. Remnants of the uterine corpus, fallopian tubes and ovaries could not be identified. The overall features were best regarded as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. There have been reports of mesotheliomas involving the uterus. However, this is the first reported case of mesothelioma causing total replacement of the uterus.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of Bartholin's gland: a case report.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma is an uncommon histological type of the already rare carcinoma of Bartholin's gland with 51 cases described in the literature. We present a case of a 66-year-old woman who was admitted with severe pelvic pain. In an examination under anesthesia a 10x5 cm apparently fixed mass at the left vaginal wall originating from the area of Bartholin's gland was found. and biopsy indicated carcinoma. The patient underwent wide local excision. Although clinically inoperable, the tumor did not infiltrate the bony pelvis and no evidence of metastasis was found. Pathology examination revealed adenoid cystic carcinoma of Bartholin's gland. PCR did not detect human papillomavirus DNA in the specimen. The patient has been treated with adjuvant radiotherapy, and is alive with no evidence of disease after ten months.

[Collagenolysis above eccrine spiradenoma]. / Collagénolyse au-dessus des spiradénomes eccrines.

BACKGROUND: The casual observation of a peritumoral edema with collagenolysis in a case of eccrine spiradenoma led us to search for similar lesions in a retrospective series of 50 spiradenomas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Among 50 cases of eccrine spiradenomas, 36 excised with the overlying epidermis and the surrounding dermis were finally available for a conventional histologie study. RESULTS: In 14 cases, i.e. 39p. 100, we observed an edema above the tumour with thin and sparse collagen fibers and less altered elastic fibers. The clinical presentation of these 14 cases was not different from the general presentation of eccrine spiradenomas, but no precise photographical or clinical data were available. DISCUSSION: The cause of this epitumoral collagenolysis is unknown. It seems unrelated to the clear perivascular spaces often observed within the tumour lobules. It is of no help for diagnosis and may be considered as an unexplained curiosity like the elastolysis and the anetoderma seen above some pilomatricomas.

Monoclonal antibodies to epithelioid cells in lip biopsy in sarcoidosis.

The phenotype of infiltrating and residual cells in biopsies of minor salivary glands from patients with sarcoidosis and from normal controls, were studied using a sensitive two-step indirect immunoperoxidase technique. We found that infiltrating lymphocytes were practically absent from salivary gland biopsies in the control group, but that in the Sarcoid group the numerous infiltrating lymphocytes consisted mainly of T-lymphocytes, mostly T-helper cells (CD4+ cells). These data correlate positively with other studies on lymphocytic infiltration in other organs involved in the immunopathology of sarcoidosis, e.g. the lung. In our study the glandular epithelial cells in the salivary gland biopsies were HLA-DR positive in the patients with sarcoidosis, especially in those specimens from patients with active disease in which 50-80% of the epithelial cells expressed an HLA-DR antigen. We observed a positive relationship between HLA-DR positive epithelial cells, the expression of interleukin-2 receptors (IL-2R) and the density of lymphocytic infiltrates. This is in accordance with other chronic, lymphocytic infiltratory diseases with HLA-DR positive epithelial expression, such as Sjögren's syndrome involving salivary glands. This suggests that there might be a common denominator causing disease in these cases.