Expression of blood group-related antigens in neoplastic uterine cervix.

Expression of blood group antigens in normal, displastic and tumoral uterine cervix from 35 hysterectomised women with carcinoma of the cervix was investigated; the results were correlated with patients' ABH phenotype and secretor status. We used an indirect immunoperoxidase technique and a panel of monoclonal antibodies and lectins directed against different antigenic specificities. Anomalous expression of blood group antigens in premalignant lesions from cervix was found. Partial loos of expression of blood group antigens and some lectins in different grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and a total loss of expression in CIN III and in infiltrating carcinoma of the cervix from secretor patients was revealed. The findings herein described confirm the importance of these antigens as tumour markers and they might be useful for the study of cervical carcinogenesis.

[Importance of E-cadherin; expression in the inmunohistochemical diagnosis of breast cancer]. / Importancia de la expresión de E-cadherina en el diagnóstico inmunohistoquímico del cáncer de mama.

It has been propossed that 50% of lobular carcinomas (LC) may change their phenotype to ductal carcinoma (DC) in 20 years. Since the prognosis and treatment of both breast carcinomas is different, it seems to be important; investigate through immunohistochemistry the loss of E-cadherin expression. E-cadherin expression was investigated in 90 cases with diagnosis or histological appearance of LC or mixed carcinomas (MxC), and in 30 DC selected among 385 cases received during year 2005 to be examined for immunohistochemical diagnosis. In 349 cases a diagnosis of DC was made. In the 90 cases selected to investigate EC the diagnosis of LC and MxC was performed in 36 cases, and among them, the histological diagnosis on 44.4% was modified. In 7 cases the diagnosis of LC was changed to DC, and 10 cases with diagnosis of MxC were considered to be DC. In 8 cases with diagnosis of DC and/or MxC the final diagnosis was that of LC. The histological diagnosis of CL is not always easily made and there are cases of DC with the appearance of LC, and cases of LC and MxC which may simulate to be DC. Diagnostic pitfalls in 44.4% of cases classified as LC and MxC after EC, were noted in our study. This percentage is close to the proposed 50% of cases of LC changing their phenotype to DC. The results with EC herein presented, suggested that diagnostic failures are due to the slight histological differences between both LC and DC. Recent evidences seems to indicate that there is a relationship between loss of EC and Tiroxine kynase receptors of the Epidermal Growth Factor related to migration and invasiveness of tumor cells. Immunohistochemical studies on the expression of EC in breast cancer is emphasized.

Importancia de la expresión de E-cadherina en el diagnóstico inmunohistoquímico del cáncer de mama / Importance of E-cadherin; expression in the inmunohistochemical diagnosis of breast cancer

Se ha propuesto que luego de unos 20 años se produce un cambio de fenotipo de lobulillar a ductal en el 50 por ciento de los carcinomas lobulillares (CL). Las grandes diferencias en el pronóstico y el tratamiento de ambos tumores de mama, el carcinoma lobulillar (CL) y el carcinoma ductal (CD), justifican la investigación inmunohistoquímica de E-cadherina (EC), una glucoproteína de superficie cuya expresión está perdida en el CL y se encuentra en las células de los CD. Entre 385 casos de cáncer de mama remitidos durante el año 2005 para su estudio inmunohistoquímico, se seleccionaron 90 con diagnóstico o apariencia histológica de CL o de carcinoma mixto (CMx) y 30 casos de CD, para examinar la presencia de E-cadherina. Los resultados mostraron como en 349 casos se hizo el diagnóstico de CD. Al examinar con EC los 90 casos seleccionados, 36 se diagnosticaron como CL y CMx; de éstos, en un 44,4 por ciento fue modificado el diagnóstico histológico. En 7 casos el diagnóstico de CL se cambió a CD, y 10 casos diagnosticados como CMx fueron considerados CD. En 8 casos diagnosticados como CD y /o CMx, el diagnóstico luego de la EC fue de CL. Estos resultados indican que histológicamente no es fácil diagnosticar un CL y pueden verse casos de CD con apariencia de CL, o casos de CL y CMx que simulan ser CD. Las fallas diagnósticas en un 44,4 por ciento de los casos clasificados como CL y CMx luego del estudio para EC, es una cifra que se aproxima al 50 por ciento de supuestas transformaciones del fenotipo lobulillar a fenotipo ductal. Estos resultados con EC sugieren que las aparentes variaciones del fenotipo, se deben a fallas diagnósticas secundarias a la sutil diferencia histológica entre CL y CD. Estudios recientes relacionan la expresión de EC con receptores del Factor de Crecimiento Epidérmico (EGFR) y receptores de tirosina-cinasa que intervienen en la proliferación e invasión de los tumores epiteliales, por lo que se recomienda utilizar con más frecuencia la det...