JAZF1-SUZ12 endometrial stromal sarcoma forming subserosal masses with extraordinary uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose on positron emission tomography: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is rare mesenchymal neoplasm, recently specified as harboring JAZF1-SUZ12 rearrangement. Typical JAZF1-SUZ12 ESS is slow growing, in which high uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) on positron emission tomography (PET) and subserosal masses are quite unusual. CASE PRESENTATION: A 69-year-old Japanese woman complained of urinary incontinence. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging showed uterine lesions composed of (1) a 9 × 8 × 7-cm mass protruding from the right-anterior wall, (2) a 4.5-cm mass attached to the right-posterior wall, and (3) a 6.5-cm intramural mass in the fundus. FDG-PET demonstrated maximum standardized uptake value of 13.28 confined to the two subserosal masses (1 & 2) in contrast to no uptake of the intramural mass (3). She was diagnosed with a high-grade uterine sarcoma concomitant with leiomyomas and underwent total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. The removed uterus had three tumors-two in the right-anterior and right-posterior subserosa, respectively, and the remaining in the fundal myometrium. Microscopically, the three tumors shared morphologic features characterized by neoplastic cells similar to proliferative-phase endometrial stromal cells, in which neither round-cell component, pleomorphism, nor high mitotic activity was recognized. Nuclear cyclin D1 immunostaining was identified 50% of neoplastic cells in the two subserosal tumors (1 &2) whereas < 1% positive cells in the intramural component (3). Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction showed the same-sized electrophoretic bands indicating JAZF1-SUZ12 gene fusion shared by the three uterine tumors and a focal tumor extension into the extrauterine vein. The patient is alive without evidence of recurrence at 14 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Pathologists and clinicians should not exclude the possibility of JAZF1-SUZ12 ESS even when uterine subserosal masses demonstrate extraordinary FDG uptake on PET. Molecular analysis is helpful for diagnostic confirmation of JAZF1-SUZ12 ESS with a complex growth pattern.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 genotype in tolerability of alcohol contained in paclitaxel in Japanese breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Paclitaxel (PTX) is an essential anticancer drug used to treat breast cancer. Because it contains alcohol as a solvent, it is contraindicated in many Japanese breast cancer patients when they are suspected of alcohol intolerance. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is one of several enzymes that catalyzes dehydrogenation of aldehydes, and plays an important role in ethanol metabolism. Deficiency of this isozyme is believed to be responsible for facial flushing and other unpleasant symptoms following ethanol intake. In this study, we examined the safety of PTX for patients with the ALDH2 GA genotype. METHODS: We performed ALDH2 genotyping on 25 patients with various cancers who were suspected to be intolerant to alcohol based on an interview using a simple question. Ten patients with the ALDH2 GA genotype, including 5 breast cancer patients, underwent chemotherapy containing PTX up to 100 mg/m2 (range 80-100 mg/m2), and were questioned about 16 alcohol-related symptoms at 11 timepoints to evaluate sensitivity to alcohol. RESULTS: All patients completed the first course of planned chemotherapy with either no or grade 1 alcohol-related symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that PTX up to 100 mg/m2 can be used safely for patients with the ALDH2 GA genotype. To confirm the necessity of a genotyping test for ALDH2, further studies evaluating alcohol sensitivity in response to PTX among patients with the ALDH2 AA genotype are required.

Gastric adenocarcinoma arising in gastritis cystica profunda presenting with selective loss of KCNE2 expression.

Gastritis cystica profunda (GCP) is a rare condition caused by ectopic entrapment of gastric glands, probably secondary to the disruption of muscularis mucosae. GCP is often associated with gastric adenocarcinoma, and loss of the KCNE2 subunit from potassium channel complexes is considered a common primary target molecule leads to both GCP and malignancy. In this study, we, for the first time, analyzed the expression of KCNE2 in surgically excised tissue from human gastric cancer associated with GCP and confirmed that reduced KCNE2 expression correlates with disease formation.

Cdx2 expression and its promoter methylation during metaplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence in Barrett's esophagus.

AIM: To examine how the expression of caudal type homebox transcription factor 2 (Cdx2) is regulated in the development of malignancy in Barrett's esophagus. METHODS: Cdx2, mucin (MUC) series (MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC6), p53 and E-cadherin expression in Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma specimens were examined by immunostaining. Isolated clusters of cells from (1) MUC2 and Cdx2-positive intestinal metaplastic mucosa; (2) MUC5AC and MUC6-positive, and MUC2 and Cdx2-negative high-grade dysplasia (HD), or intramucosal adenocarcinoma (IMC); and (3) MUC5AC, MUC6 and Cdx2-positive poorly-differentiated invasive adenocarcinoma (PDA) were analyzed by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction using sets of primers for detecting methylation status of the Cdx2 gene. RESULTS: Most of the non-neoplastic Barrett's esophageal mucosa showing intestinal-type metaplasia with or without low-grade dysplasia was positive for E-cadherin, MUC series and Cdx2, but negative for p53. A portion of the low-grade to HD was positive for E-cadherin, MUC5AC, MUC6 and p53, but negative for MUC2 and Cdx2. The definite IMC area was strongly positive for MUC5AC, MUC6 and p53, but negative for MUC2 and Cdx2. Methylation of the Cdx2 promoter was not observed in intestinal metaplasia, while hypermethylation of part of its promoter was observed in hot dipped and IMC. Hypermethylation of a large fraction of the Cdx2 promoter was observed in PDA. CONCLUSION: Cdx2 expression is restored irrespective of the methylation status of its promoter. Apparent positive immunohistochemical results can be a molecular mark for gene silencing memory.