CD133 expression in normal skin and in epithelial cutaneous tumors.

BACKGROUND: Expression of human CD133 (human prominin-1) in cancer cells has been postulated to be a marker of stemness and is considered as a putative marker of cancer stem cells (CSCs). We designed a study to describe the expression pattern of CD133 in normal skin and in epithelial cutaneous neoplasms. METHODS: The CD133 immunohistochemical expression of forty-three eccrine and apocrine tumors was compared to that observed in other epithelial tumors of the skin. In addition, flow cytometry was used to detect the CD133 expression of four epithelial skin neoplasms, including one porocarcinoma. RESULTS: CD133 immunoreactivity at the apical or at the apicolateral surface of cells forming glandular structures was observed. Cells from solid areas of benign or malignant tumors were not stained. The porocarcinoma derived culture cells showed a 22% of CD133 positive cells using flow cytometry, while squamous cell carcinoma cultures contained less than 0.1%. CONCLUSIONS: These observations indicate that CD133 is a specific marker of glandular differentiation that could be included in the diagnostic panel of cutaneous tumors with possible eccrine or apocrine differentiation. However, the use of CD133 expression as a marker of CSCs should be interpreted with caution in experiments of skin.

Papel de las proteínas quinasas activadas por mitógenos (MAPK) en el carcinoma de células renales esporádico / Role of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) in the Sporadic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Contexto: Últimamente, basándose en la implicación del gen supresor vhl en los casos de carcinoma de células renales (CCR), se ha evaluado la implicación de la ruta de señalización entre pVHL y el factor inducible por hipoxia 1 alfa (HIF-1α), ante la necesidad de encontrar nuevos marcadores diagnósticos, pronósticos y de respuesta a fármacos. Síntesis de evidencia: La sobreexpresión de HIF-1α confiere mejor pronóstico en pacientes afectos de CCR de tipo células claras (ccRCC). Además HIF-1α regula otros genes, concretamente el de la anhidrasa carbónica IX (CA-IX), cuya sobreexpresión es prácticamente exclusiva de los ccRCC y su determinación útil para el diagnóstico de este subtipo. Sin embargo, no se ha demostrado la implicación de CA-IX ni en el pronóstico ni en la respuesta a inmunomoduladores o antiangiogénicos. Ello hace necesario la evaluación global de toda esta ruta: pVHL → HIF-1α → CA-IX, e incluso el análisis de otras proteínas y vías de señalización que también controlan la actividad de HIF-1α. En este último caso, las MAPK, son críticas en la activación de HIF-1α, existiendo evidencias a nivel experimental del control sobre su actividad, aunque no se ha establecido su papel clínico como biomarcador. Si bien está demostrado el papel de las MAPK en los fenómenos de resistencia a quimio y radioterapia convencional, no lo está en la respuesta a sorafenib, dato llamativo si tenemos en cuenta que es inhibidor de varias proteín quinasas. Recientemente se ha observado que las MAPK pueden estar implicadas en la respuesta a distintas terapias, incluidas las basadas en inhibidores de tirosín quinasa. Conclusiones: La confirmación de estos datos supondrá una explicación a la variación observada entre pacientes, que con una misma alteración funcional del gen vhl presentan un distinto comportamiento biológico y clínico, y a una mejor selección de terapias no quirúrgicas (AU)

Context: Only on the basis of the involvement of the vhl suppressor gene in the cases of renal cell carcinomas (RCC), the involvement of the signaling pathway between the pVHL and the Hypoxia inducible factor 1, alpha (HIF-1α) has been evaluated because of the need to find new diagnostic and prognostic and response to drugs markers. Evidence synthesis: The overexpression of HIF-1α confers better prognosis in clear cell type RCC (ccRCC). Furthermore, HIF-1α regulates other genes, specifically that of the carbon anhydrase IX (CA-IX), whose overexpression is practically only of the ccRCC and its determination is useful for this subtype. However, the involvement of the CA-IX has not been demonstrated in the prognosis or in the response to immunomodulators or antiangiogenics. Therefore, it is necessary to make a global evaluation of all this pathway: pVHL → HIF-1α → CA-IX, and even the analysis of other proteins and signaling pathways that also control the HIF-1α activity. In the latter case, the MAPK are critical in the HIF-1α activation, there being evidence on the experimental level of the control on its activity. although its clinical role as a biomarkers has not been established. Although the role of the MAPK in the phenomena of resistance to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been demonstrated, it has not been demonstrated in response to sorafenib, an important piece of information if we consider that it is an inhibitor of several protein kinases. Recently, it has been observed that the MAPK may be involved in the responses to different therapies, included those based on tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Conclusions: The confirmation of these data would suppose an explanation of the variation observed between patients who, with the same functional alteration of the vhl gene, have a different biological, clinical behavior and better selection of non-surgical therapies (AU)

[Role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the sporadic renal cell carcinoma]. / Papel de las proteínas quinasas activadas por mitógenos (MAPK) en el carcinoma de células renales esporádico.

CONTEXT: Only on the basis of the involvement of the vhl suppressor gene in the cases of renal cell carcinomas (RCC), the involvement of the signaling pathway between the pVHL and the Hypoxia inducible factor 1, alpha (HIF-1α) has been evaluated because of the need to find new diagnostic and prognostic and response to drugs markers. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The overexpression of HIF-1α confers better prognosis in clear cell type RCC (ccRCC). Furthermore, HIF-1α regulates other genes, specifically that of the carbon anhydrase IX (CA-IX), whose overexpression is practically only of the ccRCC and its determination is useful for this subtype. However, the involvement of the CA-IX has not been demonstrated in the prognosis or in the response to immunomodulators or antiangiogenics. Therefore, it is necessary to make a global evaluation of all this pathway: pVHL → HIF-1α → CA-IX, and even the analysis of other proteins and signaling pathways that also control the HIF-1α activity. In the latter case, the MAPK are critical in the HIF-1α activation, there being evidence on the experimental level of the control on its activity. although its clinical role as a biomarkers has not been established. Although the role of the MAPK in the phenomena of resistance to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been demonstrated, it has not been demonstrated in response to sorafenib, an important piece of information if we consider that it is an inhibitor of several protein kinases. Recently, it has been observed that the MAPK may be involved in the responses to different therapies, included those based on tyrosine kinase inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: The confirmation of these data would suppose an explanation of the variation observed between patients who, with the same functional alteration of the vhl gene, have a different biological, clinical behavior and better selection of non-surgical therapies.

Cutaneous expression of systemic candidiasis.

Skin lesions associated with Candida septicaemia occur only in a minority of patients, who are usually immunocompromised, but they can help to establish a diagnosis rapidly. The lesions form a characteristic maculopapular or nodular rash at the onset of the infection. We report three cases of systemic candidiasis (SC) with cutaneous manifestations in immunocompromised patients. In these patients, the lesions started as asymptomatic or slightly pruriginous macules, papules or nodules localized on the trunk and extremities. The patients' general condition was very poor and they presented a high fever at the onset of the illness. Candida spp. were isolated from blood in all cases, and histology showed yeasts in two of them. Most of the lesions resolved with antifungal treatment. The diagnosis of SC is often delayed or missed because of the absence of useful diagnostic tools, the varying clinical manifestations and the frequent negativity (50-75%) of blood cultures for Candida. Fluconazole is the treatment of choice for Candida albicans, but treatment response is unknown for other Candida spp., which may require treatment with amphotericin B.

Light-chain-restricted germinal centres in reactive lymphadenitis: report of eight cases.

AIMS: Light-chain-restricted germinal centres are generally associated with the existence of a neoplastic lymphoproliferative disorder. The aim was to present a series of cases with persistent lymph node enlargement that featured some germinal centres showing light chain immunoglobulin restriction. METHODS AND RESULTS: A series of six reactive lymphadenitis and two Castleman's disease cases was analysed by immunohistochemistry, IgH-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and microdissected PCR. In all cases some germinal centres contained a population of plasma cells and plasmacytoid germinal centre cells showing light chain immunoglobulin restriction. In three cases the monotypic cells also showed distinct Bcl-2 expression. Two of the cases showed a predominant IgH rearrangement on a florid polyclonal background and one had an IgH monoclonal rearrangement, as revealed by PCR. Microdissected germinal centre PCR revealed a dominant repeated band in one of three cases and in another case a non-repeated clonal peak was observed. One of the patients developed a follicular lymphoma, which became evident from a subsequent biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may be a manifestation of an underlying disorder in the regulation of the immune response, or an exaggeration of the germinal centre oligoclonal nature. This should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of follicular hyperplasia.

Secondary amyloidosis associated with histiocytosis X.

We report a 34-year-old man diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) or histiocytosis X in 1980. He had multiple focal osseous lesions, difficult control of the disease activity and was treated many times with chemo- and radiotherapy for symptomatic control. His kidney disease started 20 years after the diagnosis with progressive renal failure and increasing non-nephrotic proteinuria, coinciding with two flares of LCH. A percutaneous renal biopsy demonstrated amyloidosis. There is only one case described in the amyloidosis literature associated with LCH.

Laryngeal plasmacytoma presenting as amyloid tumour: a case report.

Laryngeal amyloidosis can be secondary to an underlying lymphoid neoplastic process and in view of this concept; the cases of localized laryngeal amyloidosis should be carefully examined and investigated for the presence of a lymphomatous process. The study design is case report. We report the case of a 64-year-old man with progressive hoarseness. A biopsy showed histological findings consistent with an extramedullary plasmacytoma associated with localized amyloidosis involving the right hemilarynx (ventricular band, arytenoids and true cord). Immunohistochemical studies showed that the tumour cells of the plasmacytoma were monoclonal (lambda-restricted). PCR analysis of the IgH gene demonstrated a clonal band confirming B-cell clonality. The amyloid deposits were also shown to be reactive with lambda immunoglobulin light chain, suggesting the pathogenetic relationship between the plasmacytoma and amyloid deposition in the larynx. There was no other evidence of malignancy or amyloidosis elsewhere. The majority of the cases reported of amyloid deposition with plasmacytoma, the lesions were found in the nasopharynx, in contrast to our case in which the lesions were sited in the larynx and with the peculiarity of being multiples. Moreover, amyloid and plasmacytoma were clearly delimitated and the amyloid tissue was more extensive than the tumour tissue. This case supports the concept that localized laryngeal amyloidosis may be a manifestation of low-grade B-cell neoplasms.

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the sinonasal region. A propose of a case.

We describe a 70-year-old man with rheumatoid arthritis and pulmonary fibrosis who presented with a month's history of pain in the left lateronasal region and inferior eyelid. On examination there was left exophthalmos, difficulty in coordinating eye movements, inflammation, erythema, and pain. Computed tomography showed a 3 cm mass in the left posterior ethmoid region, a biopsy specimen from which showed a small cell neuroendocrine tumour. He refused operation and was treated unsuccessfully with four cycles of cisplatin and etoposide.

Carcinoma neuroendocrino de células pequeñas de la región nasosinusal / Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the sinonasal region

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