The immunohistochemical analysis of the proliferative activity and the maturity degree of lymphatic vessels in oral squamous cell carcinomas.

Oral cancers still represent a major health problem; regional lymph node metastases occur in 30-40% of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and are associated with unfavorable prognosis and decreased survival. The study included 35 cases of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC), which were analyzed by double reactions to determine the proliferative activity (anti-human D2-40/Ki67) and the maturity degree (anti-human D2-40/α-SMA) of lymphatic vessels, both intratumoral (IT) and in the advancing edge (AE), and in relation to clinicopathological prognostic parameters. The mean values of D2-40 lymphatic vessel density (LVD) were higher in AE then in IT level. Poorly differentiated carcinomas, T3/T4, presented the highest LVD values, both IT and in the AE. LVD was higher in advanced stages and metastasizing carcinomas. Ki67 was positive in all cases, Ki67 proliferation index (IP) indicated higher values in poorly differentiated carcinoma, T3/T4, metastasizing ones, both IT and in the AE. LVD and IP Ki67 showed a positive linear correlation. D2-40/Ki67-positive vessels were identified only at the AE or close to it. D2-40/Ki67 LVD had highest values in advanced stages carcinoma, with metastases. D2-40/α-SMA-positive vessels were identified only in the neighborhood of the tumor and LVD highest values were present in early-stage carcinomas and without metastases. A negative linear correlation between proliferation and maturity of the lymphatic vessels was found. The study indicated a strong association between lymphatic proliferative activity and lymph node metastases, suggesting the need for targeted antilymphangiogenic therapies in OSCC.

E-cadherin÷CD44 immunophenotype in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of bladder urothelial carcinomas.

The alteration of epithelial stability, which includes changes in the expression of E-cadherin and CD44, is one of the complex biomolecular mechanisms involved in the tumoral epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. We followed the E-cadherin÷CD44 immunophenotype by single and double detections in 25 cases of bladder urothelial carcinomas. Our study investigated simultaneously the differences in expression of the two markers, in different tumoral compartments, according to the prognostic parameters of the lesions. The study indicated significant differences in the expression of E-cadherin in relation to tumor grade, depth of invasion, tumor stage and Ki-67 proliferation index (PI), both intratumoral and at the advancing edge. For CD44, expression differences were found between the tumor grades in intratumoral sites, while for both intratumoral and advancing edge compartments the differences occurred for the depth of tumor invasion, tumor stage and Ki-67 PI. The only differences in the expression of the two markers in relation with the presence of lymph node metastasis were for E-cadherin at the advancing edge. In this study, the intratumoral E-caderin-÷CD44- immunophenotype, respectively E-caderin-÷CD44+ at the advancing edge were associated with the tumor aggressiveness analyzed parameters. The maintenance of CD44 expression at the advancing edge represents a negative prognostic factor for bladder urothelial carcinoma and supports the implication of EMT process, through the existence at this level of a cell population with particular properties.

VEGF and CD105 immunoexpression in squamous cervical carcinomas and associated precancerous lesions.

In this study, we analyzed the VEGF and CD105 immunoexpression in 24 cervical squamous cell carcinomas and CIN associated lesions with different degrees. For both lesions, MVD values were higher in patients who had associated risk factors. VEGF and MVD expression increased in both categories for high-grade lesions, respectively CIN III lesions compared with CIN I/II and poorly differentiated carcinomas compared with well-differentiated ones. Also, there was a statistically significant association between VEGF and MVD in poorly differentiated carcinoma and CIN III. The study indicated that analyzed markers were specific for both early and advanced stages of cervical angiogenesis. Maximum values of VEGF and MVD in CIN III designate this lesion as critical to the progression of neoplasia.