Pathologic characterization of renal epithelial neoplasms arising in nonfunctioning kidneys.

Nonfunctioning kidneys secondary to various etiologies display different histopathological features. Studies focused on incidence and types of renal neoplasms using the new World Health Organization and International Society of Urological Pathology classification system in various types of nonfunctioning kidneys are very limited. We identified 311 nephrectomies of nonfunctioning kidneys and categorized them into 5 categories: acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD, n = 61); end-stage renal disease, nonspecific (ESRD, n = 63); adult polycystic kidney disease (APKD, n = 49); failed transplant kidney (FTK, n = 96); and those caused by obstructive conditions in the kidney (OCK, n = 42). ACKD (70%) and ESRD (43%) had higher cancer incidences than the other 3 groups (APKD = 2%, FTK = 0%, and OCK = 5%). Besides clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and papillary RCC, clear cell papillary RCC had a much higher incidence within ACKD patients (13/61) compared to other groups. ACKD-associated RCC was only identified in ACKD patients. ACKD patients had significantly longer dialysis duration compared to ESRD, APKD, and FTK. Although they had similar risk for clear cell RCC and papillary RCC, ACKD patients had a much higher risk for ACKD-associated RCC and clear cell papillary RCC than ESRD patients. Although most RCCs arising in these nonfunctioning kidneys were early pT1 stage, 6 ACKD patients and 3 ESRD patients had higher-stage diseases, which can be fatal if not treated appropriately. Therefore, precise clinicopathological classification of these nonfunctioning kidneys is important for predicting kidney cancer risk. These results indicate the need for active monitoring of the patients with high-risk nonfunctioning kidney diseases and appropriate surgical treatment when necessary.

MAGI2 is an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Membrane-associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain-containing protein 2 (MAGI2) promotes the activity of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Recent studies suggest that dysregulation of this signaling pathway has a role in prostate carcinogenesis. Our study aims to determine the prognostic significance of MAGI2 expression in prostate cancer. METHODS: Tissue microarrays from 51 radical prostatectomy cases including benign prostatic tissue, high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), and adenocarcinoma were constructed. Immunohistochemistry with double staining for MAGI2 and p63 was performed and analyzed by image analysis as percent of analyzed area (%AREA). Multivariable logistic regression was used to correlate MAGI2 expression with clinical outcomes. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) with linear and logistic regression was used to correlate MAGI2 with intrapatient histology. RESULTS: MAGI2 %AREA was inversely associated with progression from HGPIN to adenocarcinoma of low to high Gleason score (OR, 0.980; slope, -0.02; P = 0.005) and HGPIN to cancer of any Gleason score (OR, 0.969; P = 0.007). After adjusting for grade, stage, and margin status, MAGI2 %AREA was a significant independent predictor of biochemical recurrence (BCR) (OR, 0.936; 95%CI, 0.880-0.996; P = 0.037; bootstrap P = 0.017). The addition of MAGI2 %AREA to these standard clinical parameters improved accuracy of predicting BCR by 2.9% (91.0% vs 88.1%). CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal that MAGI2 expression is reduced during prostate cancer progression and that retention of MAGI2 signal reduces odds of BCR. The study results further suggest a possible role of MAGI2 in prostate neoplasia. Decreased MAGI2 expression may help predict prostate cancer aggressiveness and provide new insight for treatment decisions and post-operative surveillance intervals.

MAGI-2 Is a Sensitive and Specific Marker of Prostatic Adenocarcinoma: A Comparison With AMACR.

OBJECTIVES: We compared the utility of membrane-associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain-containing protein 2 (MAGI-2) and α-methylacyl CoA (AMACR) by immunohistochemistry in diagnosing prostatic adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Seventy-eight radical prostatectomies were used to construct three tissue microarrays with 512 cores, including benign prostatic tissue, benign prostatic hyperplasia, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), and adenocarcinoma. AMACR and MAGI-2 immunohistochemistry were evaluated by visual and image analysis. RESULTS: MAGI-2 and AMACR were significantly higher in adenocarcinoma and HGPIN compared with benign tissue. At H-score cutoffs of 300 and 200, MAGI-2 was more accurate in distinguishing benign from malignant glands than AMACR. Areas under the curve by image and visual analysis were 0.846 and 0.818 for MAGI-2 and 0.937 and 0.924 for AMACR, respectively. The accuracy of MAGI-2 in distinguishing benign from malignant glands on the same core was higher (95% vs 88%). CONCLUSIONS: MAGI-2 could represent a useful adjunct for diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma, especially when AMACR is not discriminatory.

Nuclear size measurement for distinguishing urothelial carcinomas from reactive urothelium on tissue sections.

BACKGROUND: Pathological diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma (UC) is primarily based on cytological atypia. It has previously been shown that high-grade (HG) UC, particularly UC in situ cells (CIS), can be over five times the size of a lymphocyte. However, this has not been demonstrated in comparison to reactive urothelium. The objective of this study was to empirically compare the difference in nuclear size of UC cells with reactive urothelial cells. METHODS: Using CellSens imaging software, we measured urothelial nuclear length (l) and width (w) on digital images of H&E sections. The area (a) of a nucleus was calculated based on the oval shape of most urothelial cells. Lymphocytes were measured to calculate normalized urothelial linear and area ratios. RESULTS: A total of 1085 urothelial cell nuclei from 60 cases were measured from reactive urothelium, low grade (LG) UC, HG UC and CIS. CIS nuclei were found to have an a 2.75 times larger than reactive nuclei (p < 0.001). A nuclear size cut-off of 11 um for l and 7 um for w was found to be sensitive [98.09 % (95 % CI: 95.60-99.38 %) and 89.31 % (95 % CI: 83.6-91.82 %) for l and w, respectively] and specific [92.60 % (95 % CI: 87.13-95.82 %) and 85.71 % (95 % CI: 79.49-90.63 %) for l and w, respectively] for distinguishing CIS from reactive atypia. CONCLUSIONS: Nuclear morphometry can be used to differentiate CIS from reactive atypia. A l over 11 um and a w over 7 um and is highly sensitive and specific for CIS compared to reactive urothelium. This difference in nuclear size may be used as a tool for differentiating the flat urothelial lesions from reactive urothelium in daily practice.

MAGI-2 in prostate cancer: an immunohistochemical study.

Membrane-associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain-containing protein 2 (MAGI-2) is a scaffolding protein that links cell adhesion molecules, receptors, and signaling molecules to the cytoskeleton and maintains the architecture of cell junctions. MAGI-2 gene rearrangements have recently been described in prostate cancer. We studied the immunohistochemical expression of MAGI-2 protein in prostate tissue. Seventy-eight radical prostatectomies were used to construct 3 tissue microarrays consisting of 512 cores, including benign tissue, benign prostatic hyperplasia, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), and adenocarcinoma, Gleason patterns 3 to 5. Immunohistochemistry for phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) and double-stain MAGI-2/p63 was performed and analyzed by visual and image analysis, the latter as percent of analyzed area (%AREA), and mean optical density multiplied by %AREA (STAIN). By visual and image analysis, MAGI-2 was significantly higher in adenocarcinoma and HGPIN compared with benign (benign versus HGPIN P < .001; benign versus adenocarcinoma, P < .001). HGPIN and adenocarcinoma did not significantly differ by either modality. Using visual intensity to distinguish benign tissue and adenocarcinoma, a receiver operating curve yielded an area under the curve of 0.902. A STAIN threshold of 1470 yielded a sensitivity of 0.66 and specificity of 0.96. There was a significant correlation between PTEN and MAGI-2 staining for normal and benign prostatic hyperplasia, but this was lost in HGPIN and cancer. We conclude that MAGI-2 immunoreactivity is elevated in prostate cancer and HGPIN compared with normal tissue, and suggest that MAGI-2 may contribute to prostate carcinogenesis. This is the first report of MAGI-2 staining by immunohistochemistry in prostate cancer.

A collision tumor of papillary renal cell carcinoma and oncocytoma: case report and literature review.

OBJECTIVES: The most common renal neoplasms include clear cell, chromophobe, and papillary renal cell carcinomas (PRCCs) and oncocytomas. While lesions containing hybrid features of different tumor types, such as hybrid oncocytic tumors, have been well documented in the literature, the finding of a collision tumor of two distinct tumor types- PRCC and oncocytoma-is extremely rare. METHODS: We present a case of PRCC associated with an oncocytoma. Our discussion includes a review of the available literature on this rare type of collision tumor. RESULTS: Prosection of a partial nephrectomy performed in a 78-year-old man for painless gross hematuria and nocturia revealed a 6.4 × 5 × 3.6-cm well-delineated orange to yellow-tan mass harboring a white-tan 1 × 0.9 × 0.9-cm mass. Histologic diagnosis of PRCC associated with an oncocytoma was rendered. By immunohistochemistry, focal CK7 expression was present in the oncocytoma, while strong diffuse positive CK7 expression was present in the PRCC component. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed trisomy 17 in 39.3% of PRCC tumor nuclei but no significant chromosomal aberration in oncocytoma. CONCLUSIONS: In view of this and previously reported cases, thorough sectioning and examination, especially in large oncocytomas, is recommended to exclude the presence of an associated malignancy. To our knowledge, trisomy 17 by FISH has not been previously reported in these extremely rare tumors.

Diagnostic accuracy of frozen-section analysis of cancer-containing bladder transurethral resection specimens for the presence of muscularis propria invasion.

AIMS: Frozen section (FS) consultation is generally an accurate diagnostic modality. At our institution, we are frequently asked to assess transurethral resection specimens (TURBT) at FS for muscularis propria (MP) invasion by carcinoma. This study documents our experience in evaluating cancer-containing TURBT specimens at FS for MP invasion. METHODS: 32 TURBT sent for FS from 2008-2010 were identified. The FS and permanent section (PS) diagnoses were reviewed. Cases excluded from the calculation of test performance included: (1) cases without cancer on FS or PS slides, (2) FS diagnosis deferred, (3) cases without MP on FS and subsequent PS slides. Sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPEC), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for identifying MP invasion at FS were calculated. RESULTS: In 6 cases, no cancer was present in FS or PS slides (18%). The FS diagnosis was deferred on 3 cases (9%). In one case (3%) MP was not present in the FS or the subsequent PS slides. Of the remaining 22 cases, 2 false positive and 6 false negative diagnoses of MP invasion were identified. The test performance for FS assessment of MP invasion in TURB were SEN=33%, SPEC=84%, PPV=60%, and NPV=64%. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying MP invasion on PS can be difficult, and our results suggest that this is more difficult at FS. Though this study is based on small numbers, our results point to the conclusion that examination of TURBT specimens for MP invasion is best done on PS.

Neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer: a review.

Neuroendocrine cells are one of the epithelial populations in the prostate. Neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) has been observed in prostate cancer. In addition to small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and carcinoid tumors of the prostate, prostatic adenocarcinomas may have NED. The incidence and clinical relevance of NED in prostatic adenocarcinoma is not clearly understood because of conflicting results in the reported studies, and evaluation of NED is not routinely performed in clinical practice. This review is an overall synthesis with an aim to develop a more comprehensive understanding and practical approach towards the current knowledge of neuroendocrine differentiation. In this review we are stratifying these lesions into separate subtypes based on histologic parameters such as tumor morphology, neuroendocrine cell density and distribution and clinical parameters. We also want to identify current controversies and confusing issues not totally resolved in this topic for further investigations. Eventually a clearer understanding of this phenomenon and appropriate handling NED in prostate cancer will benefit clinical practice.

Differential diagnosis of renal tumors with clear cytoplasm: clinical relevance of renal tumor subclassification in the era of targeted therapies and personalized medicine.

CONTEXT: The World Health Organization classification of renal tumors synthesizes morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular findings to define more than 40 tumor types. Of these, clear cell (conventional) renal cell carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor in adults and-with the exception of some rare tumors-the most deadly. The diagnosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma on morphologic grounds alone is generally straightforward, but challenging cases are not infrequent. A misdiagnosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma has clinical consequences, particularly in the current era of targeted therapies. OBJECTIVE: To highlight morphologic mimics of clear cell renal cell carcinoma and provide strategies to help differentiate clear cell renal cell carcinoma from other renal tumors and lesions. The role of the pathologist in guiding treatment for renal malignancies will be emphasized to stress the importance of proper tumor classification in patient management. DATA SOURCES: Published literature and personal experience. CONCLUSIONS: In challenging cases, submission of additional tissue is often an inexpensive and effective way to facilitate a correct diagnosis. If immunohistochemical stains are to be used, it is best to use a panel of markers, as no one marker is specific for a given renal tumor subtype. Selection of limited markers, based on a specific differential diagnosis, can be as useful as a large panel in reaching a definitive diagnosis. For renal tumors, both the presence and absence of immunoreactivity and the pattern of labeling (membranous, cytoplasmic, diffuse, focal) are important when interpreting the results of immunohistochemical stains.

Mast cell activators: a new class of highly effective vaccine adjuvants.

Mast cells (MCs) have recently received recognition as prominent effectors in the regulation of immune cell migration to draining lymph nodes and lymphocyte activation. However, their role in the development of humoral immune responses is not clear. Here, we demonstrate that subcutaneous or nasal administration of small-molecule MC activators with vaccine antigens evokes large increases in antigen-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses. These responses were MC dependent and correlated with increased dendritic cell and lymphocyte recruitment to draining lymph nodes. Nasal instillation of these formulations also evoked antigen-specific secretory IgA and provided protection against anthrax lethal toxin challenge in vitro and against vaccinia virus infection in vivo. Collectively, these results define the MC as an integral sensory arm of the adaptive immune system. Moreover, they highlight MC activators as a new class of vaccine adjuvants, capable of inducing protective antigen-specific immune responses through needle-free routes of administration.