A Comprehensive Study of Meningioma Biomineralization: Morphological, Crystallographic, and Immunohistochemical Aspects.

Biomineralization of brain tissues occurs both in normal and pathological conditions. Dura mater biomineralization is widespread and occurs in 1-72% of cases, depending on the patient's age and research method. The amount of biomineral deposits under the conditions of tumor growth in the meninges only increases, reaching 100% in the case of psammomatous meningiomas. Since calcifications are often found in the meninges, the problem of differential diagnosis with calcified meningiomas arises. A total of 30 samples of meningiomas with signs of biomineralization-dense structure, characteristic crunch, psammoma bodies (group I) and 30 samples of meningiomas without any signs of biomineralization were examined as controls (group II). To detect pathological biomineralization, the meningioma tissue was studied using the methods of macroscopic description, histology, histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry, scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis, and transmission electron microscopy. A significantly higher level of caspase3 and features of the expression of osteoblastic markers (a lower level of OPG expression and a higher level of the presence of RANKL in group I, the absence of fluctuations in the expression of SPARC) may indicate a dystrophic type of development of biomineral deposits in meningiomas.

The Prospects of Using Structural Phase Analysis of Microcalcifications in Breast Cancer Diagnostics.

The detection of microcalcifications in the breast by mammography is of great importance for the early diagnostics of breast cancer. This study aimed to establish the basic morphological and crystal-chemical properties of microscopic calcifications and their impact on breast cancer tissue. During the retrospective study, 55 out of 469 breast cancer samples had microcalcifications. The expression of the estrogen and progesterone receptors and Her2-neu showed no significant difference from the non-calcified samples. An in-depth study of 60 tumor samples revealed a higher expression of osteopontin in the calcified breast cancer samples (p ˂ 0.01). The mineral deposits had a hydroxyapatite composition. Within the group of calcified breast cancer samples, we detected six cases of colocalization of oxalate microcalcifications together with biominerals of the usual "hydroxyapatite" phase composition. The simultaneous presence of calcium oxalate and hydroxyapatite was accompanied by a different spatial localization of microcalcifications. Thus, the phase compositions of microcalcifications could not be used as criteria for the differential diagnostics of breast tumors.

Potential Role of Hydroxyapatite Nanocrystalline for Early Diagnostics of Ovarian Cancer.

Calcification is one of the clinical and morphological manifestations of ovarian tumors and it begins at the initial stages of carcinogenesis. Thus, this process can be used for the early diagnostics of some malignant ovarian tumors. We compared the results of ultrasound and histology and found that calcifications of a size less than 200 µm are not detected by ultrasound. These calcified structures are round fragile particles of different sizes. In the EDX (Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) spectra, the main lines were from Ca and P, and the ratio of these elements corresponds to hydroxyapatite. Thus, we established that hydroxyapatite is the main mineral component of ovarian psammoma bodies and could be used for early diagnostics of ovarian malignant neoplasia.