A new prognostic clinicopathological classification of pituitary adenomas: a multicentric case-control study of 410 patients with 8 years post-operative follow-up.

Pituitary adenomas are currently classified by histological, immunocytochemical and numerous ultrastructural characteristics lacking unequivocal prognostic correlations. We investigated the prognostic value of a new clinicopathological classification with grades based on invasion and proliferation. This retrospective multicentric case-control study comprised 410 patients who had surgery for a pituitary tumour with long-term follow-up. Using pituitary magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis of cavernous or sphenoid sinus invasion, immunocytochemistry, markers of the cell cycle (Ki-67, mitoses) and p53, tumours were classified according to size (micro, macro and giant), type (PRL, GH, FSH/LH, ACTH and TSH) and grade (grade 1a: non-invasive, 1b: non-invasive and proliferative, 2a: invasive, 2b: invasive and proliferative, and 3: metastatic). The association between patient status at 8-year follow-up and age, sex, and classification was evaluated by two multivariate analyses assessing disease- or recurrence/progression-free status. At 8 years after surgery, 195 patients were disease-free (controls) and 215 patients were not (cases). In 125 of the cases the tumours had recurred or progressed. Analyses of disease-free and recurrence/progression-free status revealed the significant prognostic value (p < 0.001; p < 0.05) of age, tumour type, and grade across all tumour types and for each tumour type. Invasive and proliferative tumours (grade 2b) had a poor prognosis with an increased probability of tumour persistence or progression of 25- or 12-fold, respectively, as compared to non-invasive tumours (grade 1a). This new, easy to use clinicopathological classification of pituitary endocrine tumours has demonstrated its prognostic worth by strongly predicting the probability of post-operative complete remission or tumour progression and so could help clinicians choose the best post-operative therapy.

Adenoid basal hyperplasia of the uterine cervix: a lesion of reserve cell type, distinct from adenoid basal carcinoma.

Adenoid basal hyperplasia is an underrecognized cervical lesion, resembling adenoid basal carcinoma, except the absence of deep invasion into the stroma. We report a series of 10 cases, all extending less than 1 mm from the basement membrane. Our results support the hypothesis that adenoid basal hyperplasia arises from reserve cells of the cervix. Lesions were found close to the squamocolumnar junction, in continuity with the nearby subcolumnar reserve cells. They shared the same morphology and immunoprofile using a panel of 4 antibodies (keratin 5/6, keratin 14, keratin 7 and p63) designed to differentiate reserve cells from mature squamous cells and endocervical columnar cells. We detected no human papillomavirus infection by in situ hybridization targeting high-risk human papillomavirus, which was concordant with the absence of immunohistochemical p16 expression. We demonstrated human papillomavirus infection in 4 (80%) of 5 adenoid basal carcinoma, which is in the same range as previous studies (88%). Thus, adenoid basal hyperplasia should be distinguished from adenoid basal carcinoma because they imply different risk of human papillomavirus infection and of subsequent association with high-grade invasive carcinoma. In our series, the most reliable morphological parameters to differentiate adenoid basal hyperplasia from adenoid basal carcinoma were the depth of the lesion and the size of the lesion nests. Furthermore, squamous differentiation was rare in adenoid basal hyperplasia and constant in adenoid basal carcinoma. Finally, any mitotic activity and/or an increase of Ki67 labeling index should raise the hypothesis of adenoid basal carcinoma.

Endothelial expression of endocan is strongly associated with tumor progression in pituitary adenoma.

Although benign, pituitary adenomas frequently invade adjacent sinuses or recur after first surgery. To date, there is no histological marker predictive of recurrence. Angiogenic factors are candidate markers. Endocan is a proteoglycan secreted by endothelial cells, associated with an aggressive behavior in several tumor types. Endocan expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 18 normal post-mortem pituitaries and in 107 patients operated for a pituitary adenoma (with a follow-up of at least 8 years after surgery). In normal pituitaries, endocan was never observed in vessels but was detected in isolated endocrine cells. In adenoma tissue, we found a strong association between endocan immunoreactivity in endothelial cells and progression (P = 0.0009), as well as tumor size (P = 0.0012), raised mitotic count (P = 0.02) and p53 expression (P = 0.032). Morphometric analysis of the microvessels showed that the mean vessel area was significantly higher in the subgroup of tumors with an endothelial expression of endocan (P = 0.028), coherent with the neoangiogenesis process occurring in the pituitary. The immunolabeling of endocan in endothelial cells may therefore appear to be a relevant marker of aggressive behavior in pituitary tumors.

Fulminant hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis induced by pandemic A (H1N1) influenza: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis induced by viral diseases is a well recognized entity. Severe forms of H5N1 influenza are known to be associated with symptoms very similar to a reactive hemophagocytic syndrome. We report a case of fulminant lymphohistiocytosis associated with the pandemic A (H1N1) variant. CASE PRESENTATION: A 42-year-old Caucasian woman developed a syndrome of fatal hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis shortly after H1N1 influenza. Initial symptoms of the viral disease were unusual, with acute abdominal involvement. Our patient's course was complicated by diffuse skin rash and ileal ischemia. Our patient died of refractory shock and multi-organ failure. Skin, ileum and colon histology was consistent with an acute apoptosis combined with an increased cellular regeneration. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza may be complicated by severe forms of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. To ensure early recognition and treatment, physicians should be aware of the possible induction of the syndrome by the novel H1N1 variant. The rapid occurrence of a multi-organ involvement with evocative biological features of macrophage activation should alert clinicians.

Temozolomide treatment in aggressive pituitary tumors and pituitary carcinomas: a French multicenter experience.

CONTEXT: To date only 18 patients with aggressive pituitary tumors or carcinomas treated with temozolomide have been reported. Increased expression of O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltranferase (MGMT) has been suggested to predict resistance to temozolomide. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to describe the antitumoral efficacy and toxicity of temozolomide in patients with aggressive pituitary tumors or carcinomas and evaluate the possible prognostic value of MGMT promoter methylation and protein expression. PATIENTS: Eight patients, five with pituitary carcinomas (three prolactin (PRL) and two ACTH) and three with aggressive pituitary tumors (one PRL and two ACTH), all treated with temozolomide administered orally for four to 24 cycles, were included in our French multicenter study. DESIGN: MGMT expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and MGMT promoter methylation by pyrosequencing. RESULTS: Three of the eight patients (two ACTH adenomas and one PRL carcinoma) responded to temozolomide as demonstrated by significant tumor shrinkage and reduced hormone secretion. Three cycles of temozolomide were sufficient to identify treatment-responsive patients. Additional cycles did not improve treatment efficacy in those not responding, even when associated with carboplatin and vepeside. MGMT expression did not predict tumoral response to temozolomide because it was positive in one responder and negative in two nonresponders. Similarly, MGMT promoter methylation (three of seven tumors) did not predict clinical response. Toxicity remained mild in all patients. CONCLUSION: Temozolomide treatment may be an effective option for some aggressive pituitary tumors or carcinomas. Response to a trial of three cycles of treatment seems sufficient to identify responders and more reliable than patient MGMT status.