No abstract

Summary ED-B fibronectin (ED-B FN), a glycoprotein involved in cell adhesion and migration, is expressed in fetal and neoplastic tissues and absent in their normal counterparts. The aim of this study is to evaluate the expression of this glycoprotein in relation to the histological and clinical data and to determine whether it has a prognostic value in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Ninety-five cases were assessed for ED-B FN expression using immunohistochemistry. Positive ED-B FN expression was significantly associated with tumor grade (p = 0.06) and primary tumor site (p = 0.02). The larynx was the tumor site associated with the least ED-B FN expression. In univariate analysis, there was no association with disease-free survival (p = 0.48), but the mean time to progression was clearly shorter in tumors with positive ED-B FN expression than in those with negative expression (6 vs. 11 months). Patients having tumors expressing the ED-B FN had a trend to a significant lower overall survival in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.06). Our study showed that ED-B FN expression might have a prognostic value in patients with HNSCC.

Distinction of high-grade esthesioneuroblastomas from other poorly differentiated tumors arising in the nasal cavity is an important diagnostic challenge because it determines patient management and prognosis. The human achaete-scute homologue (hASH1) gene is critical in olfactory neuronal differentiation and is expressed in immature olfactory cells; therefore, it could have potential use as a diagnostic marker The aim of the present study was to determine the value of hASH1 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in differentiating esthesioneuroblastoma from other poorly differentiated tumors. A real-time polymerase chain reaction assay was developed, permitting the comparative determination of hASH1 mRNA levels in triplicate in a double-blind pilot study including 24 frozen cases of esthesioneuroblastoma and poorly differentiated tumors. All 4 positive cases were esthesioneuroblastomas, and all 19 poorly differentiated tumors were negative. In addition, there was an inverse association between the grade of esthesioneuroblastomas and hASH1 mRNA levels. The hASH1 mRNA level might represent a useful tool for distinguishing esthesioneuroblastoma from poorly differentiated tumors of the sinonasal region.

14-3-3 sigma is an exclusive epithelial marker and data on its expression in different malignancies are very scarce. The aims of the present study are to screen its expression in the most common neoplasms occurring in the urological and gynecological tract and to evaluate its use as a diagnostic marker. A tissue microarray was constructed using 350 samples from 13 different neoplasms. Immunohistochemical analysis using a polyclonal 14-3-3 sigma antibody was performed. Overall, this protein was positive in 141 and negative in 209 tumors. The most frequent expression was seen in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and urothelial bladder carcinoma, followed by prostatic and endometrial adenocarcinoma. 14-3-3 sigma was able to distinguish prostate adenocarcinoma from urothelial bladder carcinoma, with an odds ratio of 0.028 (P = 0.001; 95% CI, 0.0003-0.222), and distinguish seminoma from embryonal carcinoma of the testis, with an odds ratio of 0.061 (P = 0.009; 95% CI, 0.007-0.5014). It also has a good value in differentiating renal clear cell carcinoma from papillary carcinoma, with an odds ratio 0.470 (P < 0.001; 95% CI, 0.008-0.261). 14-3-3 sigma seems to have good potential use as an epithelial marker, after confirmation with further targeted studies. Finally, as with all immunohistochemical markers, we can optimize the utility of this protein to distinguish tumor mimics by including it in an appropriate immunohistochemical panel.

The combination of cytology of the peritoneal washing, histology (cell block and surgical specimen) and clinical history allow differentiation of BMPM from other cystic lesions (cystic lymphangioma and malignant mesothelioma).