Comparative analysis of basaloid and conventional squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus: prognostic relevance of clinicopathological features and protein expression.

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC), a variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is a rare and aggressive epithelial malignancy which has been reported in only 0.1-11 % of primary esophageal carcinomas. In this study, a comparison of clinicopathological features and protein expression between esophageal BSCC (EBSCC) and conventional esophageal SCC (ESCC) cases from Brazil was performed in order to find factors that can be relevant to better characterize EBSCC. The expression of HER2, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Ki-67, and cyclins (A, B1, and D1) in 111 cases (95 ESCC and 16 EBSCC) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray. When the clinicopathological data were compared, no significant difference was found between the two histological types. Although the difference is not significant (p = 0.055), the EGFR expression was more frequent in the conventional ESCC than in the EBSCC group. Our results indicate that the clinicopathological profiles of conventional ESCC and EBSCC are similar and provide no indicators for differences in prognosis between these two groups.

Decreased expression of stem cell markers by simvastatin in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast cancer.

Simvastatin, a competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase widely used in the treatment and prevention of hyperlipidemia-related diseases, has recently been associated to in vitro anticancer stem cell (CSC) actions. However, these effects have not been confirmed in vivo. To assess in vivo anti-CSC effects of simvastatin, female Sprague-Dawley rats with 7,12-dimethyl-benz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary cancer and control animals were treated for 14 days with either simvastatin (20 or 40 mg/kg/day) or soybean oil (N = 60). Tumors and normal breast tissues were removed for pathologic examination and immunodetection of CSC markers. At 40 mg/kg/day, simvastatin significantly reduced tumor growth and the expression of most CSC markers. The reduction in tumor growth (80%) could not be explained solely by the decrease in CSCs, since the latter accounted for less than 10% of the neoplasia (differentiated cancer cells were also affected). Stem cells in normal, nonneoplastic breast tissues were not affected by simvastatin. Simvastatin was also associated with a significant decrease in proliferative activity but no increase in cell death. In conclusion, this is the first study to confirm simvastatin anti-CSC actions in vivo, further demonstrating that this effect is specific for neoplastic cells, but not restricted to CSCs, and most likely due to inhibition of cell proliferation.

Prognostication of OCT4 isoform expression in prostate cancer.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) refer to a subset of tumor cells that self-renew and affect tumor heterogeneity. This model has attracted considerable interest in recent years due to its implications in the prognosis and clinical management of cancer because CSCs mediate the occurrence, growth, and recurrence of tumors. OCT4 is central to embryonic stem cell self-renewal and differentiation into specific lineages and encodes two chief isoforms that are generated by alternative splicing--OCT4A and OCT4B. Their function in prostate cancer (PCa) is unknown. The prognostic function of OCT4 isoforms in PCa samples was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and sensitivity and specificity of the antibodies used were evaluated by molecular biology techniques. Biochemical and pathological data and specimens from 193 patients with PCa were evaluated retrospectively. IHC, western blot, immunofluorescence, and automated image analysis were also performed. IHC was performed on a tissue microarray, and western blot and immunofluorescence were performed using the PCa cell line DU-145. IHC expression of OCT4 isoforms correlated with biochemical and pathological parameters, particularly biochemical recurrence-free survival (BCRFS). Patients with higher levels of OCT4B had lower Gleason scores and decreased likelihood of experiencing biochemical recurrence (BR). OCT4A(+) OCT4B(-) patients had the shortest BCRFS, and positivity for OCT4B expression was an independent prognostic factor for BCRFS in the multivariate analysis. We conclude that the expression of OCT4B is a strong marker of good prognosis, and its presence is associated with a decreased likelihood of BR. Thus, OCT4B might represent a powerful clinical prognostic biomarker for PCa patients.

In situ T regulatory cells and Th17 cytokines in paired samples of leprosy type 1 and type 2 reactions.

Leprosy is a complex chronic, infectious dermato-neurological disease that affects the skin and peripheral nerves especially during immuno-inflammatory episodes known as type 1/T1R and type 2/T2R reactions. This study investigated the in situ expression of CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells and TGF-ß1, IFN-γ, IL-17 in leprosy T1R and T2R. Tregs were evaluated in 114 skin biopsies from 74 leprosy patients: 56 T1R (28-paired reaction-free/reactional biopsies, 28 unpaired T1R), 18 T2R (12 paired reaction-free/reactional biopsies, 6 unpaired T2R). Double CD25+Foxp3+immunostained Treg cells obtained by automated platform (Ventana BenchMark XT, Roche, Mannheim, Germany) were counted (Nikon Eclipse E400 2mm2). Cytokine expression was evaluated by immunostaining in 96 biopsies (48 paired reaction-free/reactional lesions, 24 T1R, 24 T2R) using rabbit polyclonal anti human TGF-ß1, IFN-γ, IL-17 antibodies (Santa Cruz Biotechnology CA, USA). Treg cell counts in leprosy reactional lesions were higher compared to reaction-free (p = 0.002). Treg numbers were higher in T1R compared to paired unreactional T1R lesions (p = 0.001). Similar frequency of Treg was seen in paired reactional versus unreactional T2R lesions. Higher expression of TGF-ß, IFN-γ and IL-17 was seen in T2R lesions compared to T1R and reaction-free lesions. The increase in Treg cells during T1R suggests a suppressive role to control the exacerbated cellular immune response during T1R that can cause tissue and nerve damage. Evidences of upregulated Treg cells in TR1, which usually occurs in patients with Th1-Th17 immunity and the indications of the expression of Th17/IL-17 in T2R, which develops in patients with Th2-Treg profile, suggest plasticity of Treg-Th17 cells populations and a potential role for these cell populations in the immunopathogenesis of leprosy reactions.

Immunohistochemical investigation of the angiogenic proteins VEGF, HIF-1α and CD34 in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

The expression of prognostic markers in cancer has become important in diagnostic routine and research. A high mitotic rate compromises the individual cell access to oxygen and nutrients, due to reduced blood supply. Cells undertake adaptive measures such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), expressed under the control of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). CD34 is an endothelial marker which can show the presence and distribution of blood vessels. This study evaluated the presence and relative expression of VEGF, HIF-1α and CD34 using immunohistochemistry of 60 breast tumors and double staining, correlating the findings with clinical and pathological variables. High VEGF expression was correlated with low cell proliferation, lymph node-negative, smaller tumor size and patients not receiving hormone therapy. High HIF-1α expression predominated in younger (<50-year) patients, subjected to neo-adjuvant therapy and in p53-negative tumors. Absence of metastasis, radiotherapy or hormone treatment, and estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors showed high CD34 immunoreactivity. We suggest that the angiogenic factors VEGF, HIF-1α and CD34 are important in breast cancer progression and their abundance in breast tumors has prognostic and predictive value.