Neuroendocrine apendicopathy in morphologically normal appendices of patients with diagnosis of acute appendicitis: Diagnostic study.

BACKGROUND: About 15%-25% of appendices removed to treat acute appendicitis present normal macro- and macroscopic morphology. The objective of this study was to verify an association of proinflammatory, neuroendocrine and immune mediators with morphologically normal appendices removed from patients with clinical laboratorial and imaging characteristics of acute appendicitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Appendices removed from 121 adult patients of both genders were distributed into three groups according to their following characteristics: group 1: 53 macro- and microscopically normal appendices from patients with clinical, laboratorial and imaging diagnosis of acute appendicitis; group 2: 24 inflamed appendices from patients with clinical, laboratorial, imaging and histopathological diagnosis of acute appendicitis; group 3: 44 normal appendices from patients submitted to right colectomy to treat localized ascending colon adenocarcinoma. All appendices were immunohistochemically studied for gastrin inhibitor peptide, mast cell tryptase, vascular endothelial growth factor; intestinal vasoactive peptide, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1, prostaglandin E2, gene-protein product 9.5, CD8 T lymphocytes, synaptophysine, enolase, and S100 protein. RESULTS: The group 1 revealed increased levels of synaptophysine, enolase, mast cell tryptase and PGP-9.5 comparing with the other two groups. The group 2 presented increased levels of interleukin 1, CD8 T lymphocytes and prostaglandin E2 comparing with the other two groups. The group 3 confirmed the normal levels of all these neuroendocrine, immune and proinflammatory mediators. CONCLUSIONS: Morphologically normal appendices removed from patients with clinical and complementary exams indicating acute appendicitis have appendicular neuroimmunoendocrine disorder associated with the mediators synaptophysin, enolase, mast cell-related tryptase and gene-protein product 9.5.

Recurrence/Regrowth in Grade I Meningioma: How to Predict?

The HLA-G and HLA-E molecules, Ki67, progesterone (PR), estrogen (ER) and androgen receptors (AR), p53, COX-2, and HER2 were studied to assess whether the biological behavior of grade I meningiomas is related to their expression. Tissue samples from 96 patients with grade I intracranial meningiomas were analyzed by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray blocks (TMA) using antibodies specific for HLA-G, HLA-E, Ki67, PR, ER, AR, p53, COX-2, and HER2. Meningiomas were classified as small (≤2 cm, 1.0%), medium (>2 and ≤4 cm, 32.3%), and large (>4 cm, 66.7%). Tumor size was not related to recurrence/regrowth (p = 0.486), but was significantly correlated with peritumoral edema (p = 0.031) and intratumoral calcifications (p = 0.018). Recurrent meningiomas were observed in 14.6% of cases. Immunostaining for each marker was: HLA-G 100%; HLA-E 95.6%; PR 62%; ER 2.1%; AR 6.5%; p53 92.6%; COX-2 100%; HER2 0%; Ki67, mean 2.61 ± 2.29%, median 2.1%. Primary and recurrent meningiomas showed no significant relation with HLA-E and hormone receptors (p > 0.05), except for Ki67, where a higher median was observed in recurrent tumors than in primary (p = 0.014). The larger the tumor, the more severe the peritumoral edema, and the greater the presence of calcifications. Ki67 appears to be a good biomarker of recurrence/regrowth in grade I meningiomas.

Use of the amniotic membrane to cover the peritoneal cavity in the reconstruction of the abdominal wall with polypropylene mesh in rats.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the efficacy of the amniotic membrane used with polypropylene mesh against the formation of adhesions and its influence on healing. METHODS: twenty five female Wistar rats were anesthetized for creating a parietal defect in the anterior abdominal wall. Its correction was made with polypropylene mesh alone and associated with amniotic membrane. In the control group (n=11), the screen was inserted alone. In group A (n=7) we interposed the amniotic membrane between the screen and the abdominal wall. In group B, the amniotic membrane was placed on the mesh, covering it. After seven days, the animals were euthanized for macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of healing. RESULTS: adhesions were observed in all animals except one in the control group. Severe inflammation was observed in all animals in groups A and B and in three of the control group, with significant difference between them (A and B with p=0.01). Pronounced angiogenic activity was noted in one animal in the control group, six in group A and four in group B, with a significant difference between the control group and group A (p=0.002) and group B (p=0.05). The scar collagen was predominantly mature, except in five animals of the control group, with significant difference between the control group and group A (p=0.05) and group B (p=0.05). CONCLUSION: The amniotic membrane did not alter the formation of adhesions in the first postoperative week. There were also pronounced inflammation, high angiogenic activity and predominance of mature collagen fibers, regardless of the anatomical plane that it was inserted in.

Use of the amniotic membrane to cover the peritoneal cavity in the reconstruction of the abdominal wall with polypropylene mesh in rats / Uso da membrana amniótica como cobertura da cavidade abdominal na reconstrução da parede com tela de polipropileno em ratos

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of the amniotic membrane used with polypropylene mesh against the formation of adhesions and its influence on healing. METHODS: twenty five female Wistar rats were anesthetized for creating a parietal defect in the anterior abdominal wall. Its correction was made with polypropylene mesh alone and associated with amniotic membrane. In the control group (n=11), the screen was inserted alone. In group A (n=7) we interposed the amniotic membrane between the screen and the abdominal wall. In group B, the amniotic membrane was placed on the mesh, covering it. After seven days, the animals were euthanized for macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of healing. RESULTS: adhesions were observed in all animals except one in the control group. Severe inflammation was observed in all animals in groups A and B and in three of the control group, with significant difference between them (A and B with p=0.01). Pronounced angiogenic activity was noted in one animal in the control group, six in group A and four in group B, with a significant difference between the control group and group A (p=0.002) and group B (p=0.05). The scar collagen was predominantly mature, except in five animals of the control group, with significant difference between the control group and group A (p=0.05) and group B (p=0.05). CONCLUSION: The amniotic membrane did not alter the formation of adhesions in the first postoperative week. There were also pronounced inflammation, high angiogenic activity and predominance of mature collagen fibers, regardless of the anatomical plane that it was inserted in.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a eficácia da membrana amniótica usada com tela de polipropileno contra a formação de aderências e sua influência na cicatrização. MÉTODOS: vinte e cinco ratas Wistar foram anestesiadas para criação de um defeito parietal na parede abdominal anterior. Sua correção foi feita com tela de polipropileno isolada e associada à membrana amniótica. No grupo Controle (n=11), a tela foi inserida isoladamente intra abdominal. No grupo A (n=7), interpôs-se a membrana amniótica entre a tela e a parede abdominal. No grupo B, a membrana amniótica foi colocada sobre a tela, recobrindo-a. Após sete dias, os animais foram eutanasiados para avaliação macroscópica e microscópica da cicatrização. RESULTADOS: aderências foram observadas em todos os animais, exceto em um do grupo Controle. Inflamação acentuada foi observada em todos os animais dos grupos A e B e em três do grupo Controle, com diferença significativa entre eles (A e B com p=0,01). Acentuada atividade angiogênica foi notada em um animal do grupo Controle, seis do grupo A e quatro do grupo B, com diferença significativa entre o grupo Controle e os grupos A (p=0,002) e B (p=0,05). O colágeno cicatricial foi predominantemente maduro, exceto em cinco animais do grupo Controle, com diferença significativa entre o grupo Controle e os grupos A (p=0,05) e B (p=0,05). CONCLUSÃO: a presença da membrana amniótica não alterou a formação de aderências na primeira semana de pós-operatório. Associou-se à inflamação acentuada, elevada atividade angiogênica e predomínio de fibras colágenas maduras, independente do plano anatômico em que foi inserida.

Concordância interobservador na interpretação imuno-histoquímica da superexpressão do Her2 detectada por cinco diferentes anticorpos em array de carcinomas mamários / Interobserver agreement in scoring immunohistochemical overexpression of Her2 detected by five different antibodies on tissue microarrays of breast carcinomas

OBJETIVO: Estudar a concordância interobservador na interpretação da superexpressão imuno-histoquímica para a proteína Her2 empregando diferentes anticorpos em array de carcinomas mamários. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Foi construído um array contendo dois cilindros (2 mm de diâmetro cada) de 25 carcinomas mamários. Cortes histológicos seriados do array foram submetidos à imuno-histoquímica utilizando-se cinco anticorpos anti-Her2: SP3 (NeoMarkers), HercepTest e A0485 (Dako), CB11 (Novocastra) e 4D5 (Genentech). Uma lâmina corada por cada anticorpo (total = cinco lâminas) foi submetida à avaliação individual por cinco observadores seguindo-se o sistema de escore proposto no HercepTestTM. Para a avaliação interobservador os resultados foram interpretados em três diferentes análises: I (0; 1+; 2+; 3+); II (0 e 1+; 2+ e 3+) e III (0 e 1+; 2+; 3+) e aplicado o teste estatístico de kappa. RESULTADOS: A concordância interobservador foi boa quando os casos foram avaliados em quatro categorias (0; 1+; 2+; 3+). Quando avaliados em duas categorias (0 e 1+; 2+ e 3+), a concordância interobservador foi boa para os casos corados por SP3 e CB11 e muito boa para os corados por A0485, HercepTest e 4D5. Na análise III (0 e 1+; 2+; 3+), a concordância interobservador foi considerada moderada para os casos corados por CB11 e boa para os corados pelos outros anticorpos. CONCLUSÃO: A concordância interobservador foi considerada entre moderada e muito boa na avaliação dos cinco anticorpos. A menor concordância interobservador ocorreu nos casos com marcações fraca (1+) e moderada (2+). A experiência dos observadores influenciou as taxas de concordância.

AIM: To examine interobserver agreement in immunohistochemical evaluation of Her2 overexpression using five different antibodies on breast cancer array. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Material and method: One array was built with two cores (2 mm diameter each) from 25 breast carcinomas. Serial sections from the array were submitted to immunohistochemistry using five anti-Her2 antibodies: SP3 (NeoMarkers), HercepTest and A0485 (Dako), CB11 (Novocastra), and 4D5 (Genentech). One slide immunostained for each antibody (total = five slides) were independently scored by five observers following HercepTestTM scoring system. Interobserver agreement was evaluated in three different analysis: I (0; 1+; 2+; 3+); II (0 and 1+; 2+ and 3+) and III (0 and 1+; 2+; 3+), and the kappa statistics was applied. RESULTS: There was a good rate of interobserver agreement when the four scores were considered (0; 1+; 2+; 3+). When the scores were considered in two categories (0 and 1+; 2+ and 3+) the interobserver agreement rate was considered substantial for cases stained for SP3 and CB11, and almost perfect for cases stained for A0485, HercepTest and 4D5. For analysis III (0 and 1+; 2+; 3+), a moderate rate of interobserver agreement was considered for cases stained for CB11, and a substantial rate for other antibodies. CONCLUSION: The overall interobserver agreement was considered moderate to substantial in the evaluation of cases stained for the five antibodies. The lowest rate of agreement was obtained in the evaluation of the cases scored as weak (1+) and moderate (2+). The observers experience altered the concordance rates.

Hiperplasias epiteliais em espécimes de mamoplastia redutora estética bilateral e mamoplastia redutora contralateral a câncer de mama / Epithelial hyperplasia in specimens from bilateral reduction aesthetic mammaplasty and reduction mammaplasty contralateral to breast cancer

INTRODUÇÃO: A mamoplastia redutora estética bilateral (MEB) é uma cirurgia que tem como objetivo reduzir o volume mamário, melhorando problemas estéticos e posturais, ou obter equilíbrio estético em pacientes submetidas a mamoplastia contralateral (MRC) a câncer de mama. A incidência de lesões mamárias nestes espécimes é variável, e a presença de câncer em uma das mamas é fator de risco conhecido para desenvolvimento de câncer na mama contralateral. OBJETIVOS: Comparar a freqüência de lesões proliferativas epiteliais e outras alterações histopatológicas em espécimes de MEB e MRC. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foram revistas lâminas de 867 peças cirúrgicas de MEB e 72 de MRC, anotando-se as alterações histopatológicas, com ênfase nas hiperplasias epiteliais, e relacionando-as com a faixa etária das pacientes. RESULTADOS: A idade média das pacientes submetidas a MEB foi de 34 anos, e das submetidas a MRC, de 50,3 anos. Alterações fibrocísticas foram as lesões mais comumente diagnosticadas. Cistos e ectasia ductal estavam presentes em 50,9 por cento das MEB e em 59,7 por cento das MRC. Hiperplasias epiteliais foram diagnosticadas em 10,1 por cento das MEB e em 43,1 por cento das MRC, principalmente em mulheres com idade superior a 40 anos. Entre as hiperplasias, o tipo usual foi o mais freqüente nos dois grupos (MEB = 9,8 por cento e MRC = 33,3 por cento). Hiperplasias atípicas estavam presentes em 9,7 por cento dos casos de MRC e em 0,3 por cento de MEB. CONCLUSÃO: A incidência de hiperplasias epiteliais com e sem atipias foi maior nos casos de MRC do que nos de MEB mesmo quando as pacientes foram pareadas pela faixa etária.