[Primitive angiitis of the central nervous system. An autopsy case report]. / Angite primitiva del sistema nervoso centrale. Descrizione di un caso autoptico.

Primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) is a rare vasculitis limited to the leptomeningeal and intraparenchymal vessels. Histologically, the angiitis may be granulomatous with giant cells, necrotizing, or lymphocytic in character, and mixed morphologic types often occur. It is frequently fatal when the diagnosis is performed too late. We describe an autopsy case with multiple cerebral infarcts.

Value of c-erbB-2 and p53 oncoprotein co-overexpression in human breast cancer.

p53 and c-erbB-2 protein expression was immunohistochemically examined in a consecutive series of 49 primary breast cancer patients with a 10-year follow-up. The study was performed on paraffin sections using the monoclonal antibodies DO7 and CBE1; the former recognizes both the wild-type and the mutant p53 forms, the latter recognizes the external domain of the transmembrane c-erbB-2 protein. Positive staining was expressed in 12.2% and 16.3% of cases for p53 and c-erbB-2 proteins, respectively. The results were related to clinicopathological parameters by the chi 2 test. A significant correlation was found between positive c-erbB-2 immunostaining and poor survival (P = 0.04) and between p53 and c-erbB-2 overexpression (P = 0.003); this co-overexpression correlated well with a poor clinical outcome (P = 0.040). From our results, we may speculate that simultaneous expression of p53 and c-erbB-2 oncoproteins could be a critical event in breast tumor progression, and therefore, of prognostic value to identify patients at high risk.