Post-COVID-19 Vaccination Myocarditis: A Histopathologic Study on a Monocentric Series of Six Cases.

Many reports on the development of myocarditis following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination (PCVM) have emerged. However, only a few case studies have investigated endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) results. This study describes the clinicopathologic features of PCVM. We surveyed all hospitalized patients in a single university hospital in Korea and identified six cases of PCVM. All six patients underwent EMB, five of whom were men aged 15-85 years. All patients developed cardiac dysfunction. Among these patients, two had mild disease without sequelae, whereas the other four had dilated cardiomyopathy with depressed cardiac function. All six cases demonstrated lymphohistiocytic myocarditis. Two of our cases fulfilled the criterion of CD3+ T lymphocytes > 7 cells/mm2 (Case nos. 3 and 6), while the remaining four cases did not fulfill the Dallas criteria. In conclusion, most PCVM cases showed mild degree inflammation histopathologically, and some cases could not fulfill the Dallas criteria and were classified as borderline myocarditis.

Absence of galectin-3 immunostaining in fine-needle aspiration cytology specimens from papillary thyroid carcinoma is associated with favorable pathological indices.

BACKGROUND: Galectin-3 (G3) immunostaining of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples from thyroid nodules is very useful for the diagnosis of malignancy. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the absence of G3 immunostaining in preoperative FNA samples is associated with favorable clinicopathological parameters, including lymph node (LN) metastasis, in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). METHODS: The records of 868 patients with PTC who had prethyroidectomy ultrasonography-guided FNA with G3 immunostaining between January 2006 and December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. G3 immunostaining was considered positive if the percentage of tumor cells showing definite cytoplasmic immunostaining exceeded 5%. Patients who had negative G3 immunostaining of FNA samples were assigned to the G3-negative (G3N) group; whereas those who had positive G3 immunostaining were assigned to the G3-positive (G3P) group. RESULTS: There were 92 patients who were assigned to the G3N group (10.6%) because of the negative staining for G3 in the preoperative FNA samples from their thyroid nodules. The proportion of PTC subtypes in the G3N and G3P groups was similar (p=0.376). There was less frequent thyroid capsular invasion (46.7% vs. 66.5%, p<0.001), extrathyroidal extension (28.3% vs. 48.5%, p<0.001), and LN metastasis (22.2% vs. 48.7%, p<0.001) in the G3N group than the G3P group. In multivariate regression analysis, G3N expression predicted a lower risk of LN metastasis (odds ratio=0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.78) after adjustment for other clinicopathological parameters. Over a median follow-up of 33 months, no association was observed between G3N and disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: The absence of G3 expression in FNA samples from PTC is associated with pathological parameters considered less aggressive than is the case for PTCs with G3 expression, including being a negative predictor of negative LN involvement. Long-term follow-up studies, however, are needed to verify whether G3N patients have lower recurrence and mortality rates.

Prognostic role of integrin ß1, E-cadherin, and rac1 expression in small cell lung cancer.

Integrin ß(1) mediates cellular adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and is correlated with highly invasive and metastatic behavior in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). E-cadherin (ECAD) is a calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion receptor that restricts invasion of cells and reduces metastasis. Rac1 is involved in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, adhesion, migration, invasion, and tumor metastasis. The aim of this study was to examine integrin ß(1) , ECAD and rac1 expression in SCLC and to analyze the prognostic value of these markers in patients with SCLC. We analyzed integrin ß(1) , ECAD, and rac1 expression in 112 SCLC tissues by immunohistochemical staining. Correlative analyses between integrin ß(1) , ECAD, and rac1 expression and cliniopathological factors were performed. A total of 65 patients had extensive disease (ED) (58%), and 47 had limited disease (LD) (42%). The median follow-up duration was 61 months (range: 14-117 months), and the median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 6.1 months (range: 4.8-7.4 months) and 9.7 months (range: 8.1-11.3 months), respectively. The expression of integrin ß(1) , ECAD, and rac1 protein was observed in 64, 73, and 99 of SCLC tissues, respectively. The correlative analyses between integrin ß(1) , ECAD, or rac1 expression and various clinical parameters did not show any statistical significance. However, the ECAD expression was associated with OS in the entire cohort. In contrast, the expression of integrin ß(1) and rac1 was not associated with PFS or OS. In a subgroup analysis, patients with less than two metastasis had significantly longer OS (p = 0.047) if their tumors expressed integrin ß(1) compared to those without integrin ß(1) expression. In addition, OS was longer for patients with ECAD positive tumors compared to those whose tumors did not express ECAD in males (p = 0.032) and patients who never smoked (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that LD (p = 0.004), overall response rate (p = 0.003), and expression of ECAD (p = 0.015) were the independent good prognostic factors for OS. LD (p = 0.024), overall response rate (p < 0.001), and less than two metastasis (p = 0.003) were prognostic factors for longer PFS. These results suggest that ECAD expression may be useful as a prognostic indicator in patients with SCLC.

Expression of AIB1 protein as a prognostic factor in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: AIB1 (amplified in breast cancer I) is a member of the p160 steroid receptor coactivator family. AIB1 is frequently overexpressed in breast cancer and has functions that promote oncogenesis that are independent of estrogen receptor (ER) coactivation. We investigated prognostic significance of AIB1 and relationship between AIB1 and ER, progesterone receptor (PR), androgen receptor (AR), DAX-1, and HER2. METHODS: RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for AIB1, IHC staining for ER and the progesterone receptor (PR) and IHC staining and silver in situ hybridization (SISH) for HER2 were performed for 185 breast cancer cases. RESULTS: A high level of expression of AIB1 mRNA was observed in 60.0% of tumors. IHC analysis detected AIB1 positivity in 47.3% of tumors, which did not correlate with AIB1 mRNA expression (p = 0.24, r = 0.10). AIB1 protein expression correlated with AR and DAX-1 expression (p = 0.01, r = 0.22 and p = 0.02, r = 0.21, respectively) but not with ER or PR expression (p = 0.14, r = -0.13 and p = 0.16, r = -0.12, respectively). AIB1 protein expression correlated with the amplification of the HER2 gene (p = 0.03, r = 0.19). In contrast to AIB1 protein expression, AIB1 mRNA expression did not correlate with AR, DAX-1, ER, and PR expression, and the amplification of the HER2 gene (p > 0.05 for all).There were trends that strong AIB1 protein expression correlated with poorer disease free survival (p = 0.07). Strong AIB1 protein expression correlated with poorer overall survival (p = 0.04). Among the ER-negative subgroup, strong AIB1 protein expression correlated with poorer disease free survival and overall survival (p = 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Strong AIB1 protein expression was poor prognostic factor in breast cancer, especially in ER-negative breast cancers. Further investigation is essential to determine whether AIB1 might be effective therapeutic targets for ER-negative breast cancers.

Retroperitoneal smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential after hysterectomy: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential represent a histologically heterogeneous group of uterine smooth muscle tumors that cannot be diagnosed as either benign or malignant. Smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential are usually clinically benign, but should be considered tumors of low malignant potential because they can occasionally recur or metastasize to distant sites. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 62-year-old Mongol woman diagnosed with a retroperitoneal smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential and lung metastasis, with a history of prior hysterectomy. The case was initially misdiagnosed as retroperitoneal sarcoma, and our patient received chemotherapy. However, no interval change in the size of the retroperitoneal mass and metastatic lung nodules was seen over a period of at least five years. She underwent partial resection of the retroperitoneal mass for the purposes of debulking and establishing a histopathological diagnosis. The diagnosis of the retroperitoneal mass was then confirmed as a smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential. CONCLUSION: Smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential have an unpredictable clinical course, and relapses generally appear to occur after a long disease-free interval of up to several years. Therefore, patients diagnosed with smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential should receive long-term follow-up.

Expression of pRb, p53, p16 and cyclin D1 and their clinical implications in urothelial carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to assess immunohistochemical expression of p53, pRb, p16, and cyclin D1, alone or in combination, as prognostic indicators and to investigate their correlation with clinocopathologic features of urothelial carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining for p53, pRb, p16, and cyclin D1 was performed on a tissue microarray from 103 patients with urothelial carcinoma who underwent radical cystectomy. Of the patient samples analyzed, 36 (35%), 61 (59%), 47 (46%) and 30 (29%) had altered expression of p53, pRb, p16, and cyclin D1, respectively. Abnormal expression of p53 and pRb correlated with depth of invasion (P=0.040 and P=0.044, respectively). Cyclin D1 expression was associated with tumor stage and recurrence (P=0.017 and P=0.036, respectively). Altered pRb was significantly correlated with overall survival (P=0.040). According to the expression pattern of pRb and p53, p53/pRb (altered/normal) had worse survival than p53/pRb (normal/altered) (P=0.022). Alteration of all markers had worse survival than all normal (P=0.029). As determined by multivariate analysis, tumor stage, lymph node metastasis and the combined expression of p53 and pRb are independent prognostic factors. In conclusion, immunohistochemical evaluation of cell cycle regulators, especially the p53/pRb combination, might be useful in planning appropriate treatment strategies.

Duodenal stump cancer after Billroth-II distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Duodenal cancer is an uncommon neoplasm and it mostly arises from the periampullary area. However, metachronous or even recurrent cancer at the duodenal stump following Billroth II type distal gastrec tomy for gastric cancer is extremely rare and, to our knowledge, has not yet been reported. A 68-year-old man underwent Billroth II distal gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection for an advanced gastric cancer. At that time the tumor stage was T2bN3M0, with 44 of 78 retrieved lymph nodes showing metastasis. He was well without recurrence for 3 years; however, he visited our hospital because of the abrupt onset of dizziness and tarry stool. A polypoid tumor that bled easily when touched was found at the end of the afferent loop of the duodenal stump by gastrofiberscopic examination, and it was proven to be an adenocarcinoma by endoscopic biopsy. Fortunately, additional studies, including abdominal computed tomography and positron emission tomography-computed tomography, showed no other sites of recurrence. The patient underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for local control of the recurrent tumor at the duodenal stump, and the pathologic findings, based on immunohistochemical staining, strongly suggested that the duodenal tumor was metachronous in nature rather than recurrent.

Expression of HPV L1 capsid protein in cervical specimens with HPV infection.

We tried to investigate the expression rate of human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 capsid protein in uterine cervical specimens and correlate it with the grade of dysplasia, HPV genotype and age of the patients. Among uterine cervical specimens proved to have HPV by DNA genotyping test, eighty cytology-biopsy matched cases and 22 unmatched cytology specimens were selected. Immunostaining for L1 capsid protein was performed on both cervical smears and tissue sections. The L1 capsid protein was expressed mainly in the nuclei, but occasionally in the cytoplasm of cells located in the superficial layer of squamous epithelium. The immunostaining for L1 capsid protein showed positive reaction in 47 cases (46.1%) of cervical smears and in 10 cases (12.5%) of tissue sections (P = 0.001). Cytologic diagnosis revealed a higher expression rate in LSILs (25/33; 75.8%) than in HSILs and cervical cancers (8/20; 40.0% and 2/5; 40%, respectively) (P = 0.006). In LSILs, cases with low-risk type HPV showed a higher L1 capsid expression rate than those with the high-risk type HPV (88.9% vs. 70.8%). The L1 capsid expression rate decreased in the over-40-year-old age group compared to the younger age (49.2% vs. 50.8%). Cytology smears were superior to tissue sections for the detection of L1 capsid protein expression. LSILs and HPV low-risk group showed higher L1 capsid expression rate than HSILs and HPV high-risk group, which suggests that L1 capsid expression might be related to a favorable disease biology.