Heamatological malignancies in giant cell arteritis: a French population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: An increased risk of haematological malignancies (HM) has been reported in GCA patients. Our study aimed to investigate the incidence and the type of HM occurring in GCA. METHODS: All patients with GCA and HM living in Côte d'Or (France) were identified by crossing data from the RHEMCO (Registre des Hémopathies Malignes de Côte d'Or) and those having a positive temporal artery biopsy between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2018. RESULTS: Among 276 biopsy-proven GCA patients, 14 HM were identified in 12 patients (4.3%). In comparison with the general population aged >50 y, the incidence of myeloid HM and myeloproliferative syndromes were increased in GCA patients [standardized incidence ratios (SIR) = 2.71 and 5.16, respectively], with a specific increase in men with GCA (SIR = 4.82 and 9.04, respectively) but not in women. In addition, the study of SIR depending on the chronology between GCA and HM diagnoses suggests that there was an increased risk of developing GCA in men but not in women, after a diagnosis of myeloid HM (SIR = 9.56), especially if it was a MPS (SIR = 17.56). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a particular epidemiology of HM in GCA patients, which is characterized by an increased incidence of myeloid HM, especially MPS, in male GCA patients. The chronology of the diagnoses of GCA and HM raises the hypothesis that clonal hematopoiesis may be implicated in some cases of GCA.

Prognostic Factors of Survival among Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer and Impact of Primary or Secondary Nature of Disease on Survival: A French Population-Based Study.

We aim to determine whether differences in survival exist between two populations of women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and to identify prognostic factors of survival after metastasis diagnosis. Data on women with MBC diagnosed between 2000 and 2011 were provided by the Côte d'Or Breast cancer registry. Survival rates and median overall survival (OS) after metastasis diagnosis were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and prognostic factors were determined in a Cox proportional hazard model. Overall, 282 women with primary MBC and 340 with secondary MBC were included. A 2-year survival rate was significantly better in women with primary MBC (50.8% [95% CI: 47.8-53.8%] versus 44.5% [95% CI: 41.8-47.2%]). However, median OS did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.1). The prognostic factors associated with worst survival were a triple-negative tumor type (p < 10-4 ), multiple metastases sites (p < 10-4 ), an older age at metastasis (p < 10-4 ), and a SBR grade G3 (p = 0.007). OS between women with primary MBC and women with secondary MBC does not seem to differ significantly. This population-based study provides original epidemiological data on French women without any selection bias inherent to hospital cohorts.

Myocardial infarction during giant cell arteritis: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular risk is increased in giant cell arteritis (GCA). We aimed to characterize myocardial infarction (MI) in a GCA cohort, and to compare the GCA and non-GCA population affected by MI. METHODS: In patients with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of GCA between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2016 in Côte D'Or (France), we identified patients with MI by crossing data from the territorial myocardial infarction registry (Observatoire des Infarctus de Côte d'Or) database. Five controls (non-GCA + MI) were paired with one case (GCA + MI) after matching for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors and prior cardiovascular disease. MI were characterized as type 1 MI (T1MI), resulting from thrombus formation due to atherothrombotic disease, or type 2 MI (T2MI), due to a myocardial supply/demand mismatch. GCA-related MI was defined as MI occurring within 3 months of a GCA flare (before or after). RESULTS: Among 251 biopsy-proven GCA patients, 13 MI cases were identified and paired with 65 controls. MI was GCA-related in 6/13 cases, accounting for 2.4% (6/251) of our cohort. T2MI was more frequently GCA-related than GCA-unrelated (80% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.080), and GCA diagnosis was the only identified triggering factor in 75% of GCA-related T2MI. GCA-unrelated MI were more frequently T1MI and occurred in patients who had received a higher cumulative dose of prednisone (p = 0.032). GCA was not associated with poorer one-year survival. CONCLUSIONS: GCA-related MI are mainly T2MI probably caused by systemic inflammation rather than coronaritis. GCA-unrelated MI are predominantly T1MI associated with atherothrombotic coronary artery disease.

[Angiomyolipoma with epithelioid contingent mimicking renal cell carcinoma]. / Angiomyolipome à composante épithélioïde mimant un adénocarcinome rénal.

The authors report the case of a patient followed for renal angiomyolipoma. On CT surveillance, this lesion developed features of a malignant tumour with loss of the fatty component and the patient was treated by nephrectomy. Histological examination demonstrated renal angiomyolipoma with an epithelioid contingent. The various aspects of this histological and radiological variant are discussed.

Late neointimal tissue growth behind the stent after intravascular gamma-radiation.

PURPOSE: To determine the nature of the changes of the vascular wall after intravascular brachytherapy in stented arteries leading to incomplete stent apposition. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Stents were implanted in the infrarenal aortas of rabbits, and gamma-intravascular brachytherapy (18 Gy) or a sham radiation procedure was immediately implemented. The arteries were harvested at 6 months for histologic analyses. RESULTS: The external elastic lamina area, as well as the vascular wall area behind the stent, were significantly greater in irradiated vs. control arteries (8.94 +/- 0.68 mm2 vs. 6.87 +/- 0.40 mm2 [p <0.001] and 1.56 +/- 0.13 mm2 vs. 0.72 +/- 0.07 mm2 [p <0.001], respectively). The ratio of the intimal area behind the stent related to the total intimal area was greater in the irradiated segments (control vs. irradiated: 9.0% +/- 5.9% vs. 55.3% +/- 15.5%, p <0.05). Neointimal growth of the irradiated vessels outside the stent was characterized by marked fibrin depositions and an inflammatory response around the stent struts. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed the presence of a neointimal layer specifically located behind the stent, which represented the result of an unhealed fibrin-rich tissue growth process 6 months after intravascular brachytherapy.

Subcellular expression of c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 in colorectal cancers: relationships with clinicopathological features and prognosis.

The Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein (IAP) family includes several critical cell death inhibitors, the expression of which could be involved in colorectal carcinogenesis. Among them, c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 expression has never been investigated in colorectal cancer. The present study was designed to determine whether expression of both IAPs was related to pathological parameters and survival in sporadic colon carcinomas. Analysis of five human colon cancer cell lines by both western blotting of cell fractions and immunocytochemistry showed that the two IAPs could be expressed both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical analysis of a series of 46 sporadic colorectal adenocarcinomas demonstrated that c-IAP1 expression was more frequent in the nucleus (85%), and that c-IAP2 was more often expressed in the cytoplasm (82%). A significant association was identified between a strong lymphoid infiltrate in the stroma and the nuclear expression of c-IAP2 (p = 0.02). No other relationship was observed between IAP expression and pathological features. After adjusting by age and stage, the relative risk of death was lower for cytoplasmic c-IAP1, cytoplasmic c-IAP2, and nuclear c-IAP2 expression. It was higher for nuclear c-IAP1 expression. These associations were not statistically significant, but this work underlines the importance of taking into account the subcellular location of the IAP family members in the evaluation of their prognostic significance.

[Genetic pathways in colorectal cancer: interest for the pathologist]. / Les voies de la carcinogenèse colorectale: intérêt et application pour le pathologiste.

Molecular biology studies have led to the identification of two different types of colorectal carcinomas. The first group, called LOH (for loss of heterozygosity), represents 80% of colorectal cancers and is characterised by aneuploidy, allelic losses and a location in the distal colon. The second group displays phenotypic microsatellite instability (MSI-positive tumours), has a near-diploid karyotype and a relatively low frequency of allelic losses. It accounts for 15% of all colorectal cancers and for about 30% of right-sided cancers. Four different pathways have been identified as responsible for tumour progression: the WNT/Wingless, the K-ras, the Transforming growth factor (TGF) and the P53 pathways. The involvement of these pathways depends on the tumour type. In LOH-positive tumours, the WNT/Wingless pathway is activated through an APC mutation, whereas MSI+ tumours do so through a catenin stabilising mutation. The TGFb growth inhibitory pathway is altered either by mutations in the signal transduction molecules SMAD2 and SMAD4 in LOH positive tumours or by mutations of TGFbRII in MSI+ tumours. In the p53 pathway, mutations in BAX may contribute to the adenoma-carcinoma transition just as p53 mutations may do in LOH positive tumours. Until now, cancer phenotype determination has had no clinical implications. However, the predictive value of the MSI status was recently stressed as a predictive factor for response to chemotherapy. Immunohistochemistry could represent a complementary strategy to molecular biology in assessing MSI status. This simple test would allow to screen all colorectal carcinomas for MSI status, which would provide valuable management information in addition to the histological assessment for tumour stage and grade.

Translocation of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein c-IAP1 from the nucleus to the Golgi in hematopoietic cells undergoing differentiation: a nuclear export signal-mediated event.

The caspase inhibitor and RING finger-containing protein cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 (c-IAP1) has been shown to be involved in both apoptosis inhibition and signaling by members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family. The protein is regulated transcriptionally (eg, is a target for nuclear factor-kappaB [NF-kappaB]) and can be inhibited by mitochondrial proteins released in the cytoplasm upon apoptotic stimuli. The present study indicates that an additional level of regulation of c-IAP1 may be cell compartmentalization. The protein is present in the nucleus of undifferentiated U937 and THP1 monocytic cell lines. When these cells undergo differentiation under phorbol ester exposure, c-IAP1 translocates to the cytoplasmic side of the Golgi apparatus. This redistribution involves a nuclear export signal (NES)-mediated, leptomycin B-sensitive mechanism. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we localized the functional NES motif in the caspase recruitment domain (CARD) of c-IAP1. A nucleocytoplasmic redistribution of the protein was also observed in human monocytes as well as in tumor cells from epithelial origin when undergoing differentiation. c-IAP1 does not translocate from the nucleus of cells whose differentiation is blocked (ie, in cell lines and monocytes from transgenic mice overexpressing B-cell lymphoma 2 [Bcl-2] and in monocytes from patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia). Altogether, these observations associate c-IAP1 cellular location with cell differentiation, which opens new perspectives on the functions of the protein.