Aims-Phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas are uncommon. The aims of this study were to analyse the characteristics and the possible roles of p53, Rb, and mdm2 alterations in these tumours. Methods-The clinicopathological features of 65 patients (31 men, 34 women) with phaeochromocytomas or paragangliomas were analysed. The tumours were studied for the expression of p53, Rb, and mdm2 by immunohistochemical methods. Results-Thirty nine of the patients had phaeochromocytomas and 26 had paragangliomas. Bilateral tumours were noted in eight of the patients and malignant tumours were seen in 13. Paragangliomas were often small, non-functional, and presented incidentally, whereas phaeochromocytomas were usually large, functional, and symptomatic. p53 overexpression, loss of Rb expression, and mdm2 overexpression were seen in four, 43, and 37 of the patients, respectively. Three of the four patients with p53 overexpression had bilateral tumours. Loss of Rb expression was often found in phaeochromocytomas, whereas mdm2 overexpression was more frequently seen in paragangliomas. The 10 year survival rate of patients with malignant tumours was 45%. Two patients died of tumour metastases more than 10 years after resection of the primary tumours. Conclusions-Phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas had distinctive clinical features and genetic alterations. The prognosis of patients with these tumours was related to the malignant potential. p53 overexpression, more common in bilateral phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas, could be a marker for this tumour subgroup. (J Clin Pathol 2001;54:443-448)

Psoriasis is a skin disease associated with hyperproliferation and aberrant differentiation of keratinocytes. Our previous studies have identified the root of Rubia cordifolia L. as a potent antiproliferative and apoptogenic agent in cultured HaCaT cells (IC(50) 1.4 microg/ml). In the present study, ethanolic extract of Radix Rubiae was fractioned sequentially with hexane, ethyl acetate (EA), n-butanol and water. EA fraction was found to possess most potent antiproliferative action on HaCaT cells (IC(50) 0.9 microg/ml). Mechanistic study revealed that EA fraction induced apoptosis on HaCaT cells, as it was capable of inducing apoptotic morphological changes. Annexin V-PI staining assay also demonstrated that EA fraction significantly augmented HaCaT apoptosis. In addition, EA fraction decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The standardized EA fraction was formulated into topical gel and its keratinocyte-modulating action was tested on mouse tail model. EA fraction dose-dependently increased the number and thickness of granular layer and epidermal thickness on mouse tail skin, indicative of the keratinocyte differentiation-inducing activity. Taking the in vitro and in vivo findings together, the present preclinical study confirms that EA fraction is a promising antipsoriatic agent warranting further development for psoriasis treatment.

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Pronounced lymphocytic infiltration in parathyroid adenoma is rare, with only six previously reported cases in the literature. The aims of this study are to review the features and investigate the pathogenesis of this rare entity. Two solitary parathyroid adenomas having this feature were reported, and the clinicopathologic features of all the documented cases were reviewed. The nature of the lymphoid infiltrate and the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were analyzed to unveil the pathogenesis of this infiltrate. One adenoma was found in a 70-yr-old woman with primary hyperparathyroidism and valvular heart disease. The other was an autopsy finding in a 48-yr-old man who had presented with hypercalcemic crisis. The lymphoid cell population within the tumors was composed of B cells and different subsets of T cells. EBV was not detected in the infiltrates. The lymphocytic infiltrate in parathyroid adenoma is an unusual histologic entity. Its presence is unlikely to imply an autoimmune disorder. We hypothesize that the lesion may be a result of local tissue response to parathyroid adenoma.