Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis of Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma: Experience of a Major Chinese Cancer Center.

Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare heterogeneous group of primary breast malignancies, with low hormone receptor expression and poor outcomes. To date, no prognostic markers for this tumor have been validated. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics, the response to various therapeutic regimens and the prognosis of MBCs in a large cohort of patients from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital in China. Ninety cases of MBCs diagnosed in our hospital between January 2000 and September 2014 were retrieved from the archives. In general, MBCs presented with larger size, a lower rate of lymph node metastasis, and demonstrated more frequent local recurrence/distant metastasis than 1,090 stage-matched cases of invasive carcinoma of no specific type (IDC-NST), independent of the status of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expressions. The five-year disease-free survival (DFS) of MBC was significantly worse than IDC-NST. Using univariate analysis, lymph node metastasis, advanced clinical stage at diagnosis, high tumor proliferation rate assessed by Ki-67 labeling, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression/gene amplification were associated significantly with reduced DFS, while decreased OS was associated significantly with lymph node metastasis and EGFR overexpression/gene amplification. With multivariate analysis, lymph node status was an independent predictor for DFS, and lymph node status and EGFR overexpression/gene amplification were independent predictors for OS. Histologic subtyping and molecular subgrouping of MBCs were not significant factors in prognosis. We also found that MBCs were insensitive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, routine chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. This study indicates that MBC is an aggressive type of breast cancer with poor prognosis, and that identification and optimization of an effective comprehensive therapeutic regimen is needed.

The role of human papillomavirus in oral disease.

A wide range of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes have been detected in oral mucosa. Clinical infections with low-risk genotypes manifest as squamous papilloma, condyloma acuminatum, verruca vulgaris, or multifocal epithelial hyperplasia. Clinical infections with high-risk genotypes have been associated with malignant lesions. The most common genotype isolated from subclinical infection is HPV-16. A causal role for HPV in carcinogenesis of oral squamous carcinoma is minimal. Ongoing vaccination against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 is expected to decrease the spread of infection and decrease the carcinogenic potential of HPV-16 in the oropharynx and oral cavity.

CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cell and FOXP3⁺ regulatory T cell infiltration in relation to breast cancer survival and molecular subtypes.

The prognostic significance of tumor-associated FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) and CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in invasive breast carcinomas is studied. Tregs and CTLs were assessed by immunohistochemistry in 1270 cases of invasive breast carcinoma for their associations with patient survival, histopathologic features, and molecular subtypes. Infiltrates of Tregs and CTLs were observed within tumor bed and in the tissue surrounding tumor. Within tumor bed, increased infiltration of Tregs and CTLs was significantly more common in those with unfavorable histologic features, including high histologic grade and negative ER and PR status. In addition, high density Treg infiltration was also associated with tumor HER2 overexpression, decreased overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). In tissue surrounding tumor, in contrast, high CTL/Treg ratio was found to be significantly associated with improved OS and PFS. These prognostic associations were confirmed by multivariate analysis. Furthermore, the density of Treg infiltrates within tumors was inversely correlated with the prognosis of the molecular subtypes of tumors. The ratio of CTL/Treg infiltrates in the surrounding tissue was also significantly higher in luminal than non-luminal subtypes of carcinoma. The prognostic significances of Tregs and CTLs in breast carcinoma depend on their relative density and location. The density of intratumoral Treg infiltrates and the peritumoral CTL/Treg ratio are independent prognostic factors and correlated with the prognosis of the molecular subtypes of breast carcinoma, which may serve as potential target for stratifying immunotherapy to battle against the aggressive subtypes of breast carcinoma.

Expression of HAb18G is associated with tumor progression and prognosis of breast carcinoma.

HAb18G is a recently identified hepatoma-associated antigen and its association with tumor growth, invasion, and angiogenesis has been studied in a variety of tumors. However, its role in the tumor progression of breast cancer has not been explored. HAb18G expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in pathological sections of 1,637 breast tissue samples and by in situ hybridization in 41 cases of invasive breast carcinomas (BC). While not detected in any cases of tumor-like conditions or benign tumors of breast, and only rarely in normal tissue (4.4%), HAb18G expression was gradually up-regulated from atypical ductal hyperplasia (27.3%), to ductal carcinoma-in situ (59.8%), and to BC (61.4%) (P < 0.01). Its expression in BC was correlated positively with C-erbB-2 expression and histologic grade (P < 0.001), and negatively with the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors (P < 0.001). Significant differences of expression were also identified among the subgroups of BC examined: in decreasing order from invasive micropapillary carcinoma, ductal carcinoma, lobular carcinoma, papillary carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, to mucinous adenocarcinoma (P = 0.001), corresponding to their known clinical aggressiveness. In an expanded group of 186 BC patients with proper follow up, our previous findings were confirmed: HAb18G expression was significantly associated with local recurrence, distant metastasis and tumor mortality (P < 0.01). We also demonstrated that up-regulated tumor expression of HAb18G was a significant predictor of reduced disease progression-free survival rate and a shorter overall survival, independent of systemic therapies. In conclusion, this study suggests that HAb18G expression is associated with BC progression and prognosis. Further evaluation of this new marker in breast cancer is indicated.

Increased expression of SDF-1/CXCR4 is associated with lymph node metastasis of invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast.

AIMS: Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and its receptor CXCR4 are implicated in tumour chemotaxis and metastasis. The aim was to examine their roles in the metastasis of invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) of the breast, a tumour with a high propensity for nodal spread. METHODS AND RESULTS: We compared the expression of SDF-1 and CXCR4 in 103 cases of breast cancer containing IMPC components with a control group of 96 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), not otherwise specified type by immunohistochemistry and chemical in situ hybridization (CISH). The results showed that the predominant cytoplasmic expression of both SDF-1 and CXCR4 was greater in tumour cells of the IMPC components than in those of the non-IMPC components and the control IDC cases, and was correlated significantly with the number of positive lymph nodes (P < 0.05). SDF-1 expression on cell membranes was less frequently identified in IMPC than IDC (P = 0.021). Immunohistochemical detection of SDF-1 in endothelial cells of lymphatic vessels was more common in IMPC (P = 0.007) and correlated significantly with lymph node status (P = 0.002), although SDF-1 mRNA was rarely detected by CISH. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that up-regulation of cytoplasmic expression of SDF-1/CXCR4 might be one of the molecular mechanisms facilitating lymph node metastasis of IMPC.

Histopathological observations of a polylactic acid-based device intended for guided bone/tissue regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Barrier devices have been shown to support alveolar bone and periodontal regeneration, a procedure also known as guided bone/tissue regeneration (GBR/GTR). Popular demand and clinical convenience have raised an interest in bioresorbable barrier devices. Tissue reactions to such bioresorbable devices are, however, generally not well explored. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate short- and long-term tissue reactions following implantation of a bioresorbable polylactic acid (PLA)-based barrier device using a rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The animals were divided into three groups including 15 animals receiving the PLA device and animals serving as sham surgery (five) or nonoperated (one) controls. Using aseptic techniques, the PLA device was surgically implanted in direct contact with the calvarial bone. Animals receiving the PLA device were sacrificed at 3, 5, 7, and 12 months postsurgery to provide longitudinal histopathological observations of tissue and biomaterials reactions. Control animals were sacrificed at 3 months. RESULTS: Animals were maintained without adverse events. Sham surgery and nonoperated control animals showed no signs of new bone formation or resorption, or signs of inflammatory reactions in adjoining soft tissues. In contrast, extensive amounts of residual biomaterial with evidence of foreign body reactions and bone resorption were observed in animals receiving the PLA device over 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the PLA device may induce bone resorbing foreign body reactions. Importantly, the PLA device does not resorb within a 12-month healing interval. These biomaterials properties may influence new bone formation and maintenance when applying the device for GBR/GTR.

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes differ in invasive micropapillary carcinoma and medullary carcinoma of breast.

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes have been correlated with a better prognosis for some tumors and medullary carcinoma of breast is a good example. However, in a recent study of invasive micropapillary carcinoma of breast, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes were associated with increased lymph node metastasis and a poorer prognosis. To explore possible mechanisms underlying this difference in immune responsiveness and tumor behavior, 28 cases of invasive micropapillary carcinoma with prominent lymphocyte infiltration were compared with 29 cases of medullary carcinoma. In both tumors, the majority of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes were T lymphocytes (P<0.01) with CD8+ T lymphocytes predominant (P<0.01). Significantly, functional differences in CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes were identified in the two types of tumor. While lymphocytes infiltrated both the stroma and epithelial components of medullary carcinoma, the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes of invasive micropapillary carcinoma were almost exclusively confined to the stroma. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes of medullary carcinoma showed stronger expression of FasL than those in invasive micropapillary carcinoma (P<0.01) and medullary carcinoma cells exhibited stronger expression of Fas than invasive micropapillary carcinoma cells did (P<0.01). In the subgroups of tumors with strong (++/+++) Fas expression, double immunohistochemistry revealed that most of the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in medullary carcinoma, particularly those infiltrating the tumor nests, were CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, but not so in invasive micropapillary carcinoma. Furthermore, upregulated expression of perforin, granzyme B and FasL by cytotoxic T lymphocytes was greater in medullary carcinoma than invasive micropapillary carcinoma (P<0.01, respectively). The results suggest that effective immunity provided by tumor infiltrating lymphocytes varies in different tumors and the relative lack of tumor-killing cytotoxic T lymphocytes in invasive micropapillary carcinoma may explain, in part, the adverse association of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes with the biological behavior of invasive micropapillary carcinoma of breast.

Intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors: a clinicopathological study of 546 cases.

Salivary gland tumors are uncommon and most reported series include tumors affecting both major and minor glands. Very few series have focused solely on intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors. The aim of this study is to report the clinicopathological data of intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors in our oral biopsy files during the last 14 years. A total of 546 minor salivary gland tumors, including 305 benign (55.9%) and 241 malignant (44.1%) lesions, were reviewed. The two most common tumors were pleomorphic adenoma (181 cases, 33.2%) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (125 cases, 22.9%), and the most commonly affected site was the palate (181 cases, 33.2%). The highest incidence was found in patients in the 5-7th decade of life, and females were more commonly affected than males in the vast majority of various histological types of tumors. Large series of intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors help to understand their clinical and pathological aspects and consequently their proper management and prognosis.