This article reviews the clinicopathologic features and the biological behavior of 24 cases of synovial sarcoma that took origin from the cervical prevertebral connective tissue space and manifested as a retropharyngeal tumor or as a palpable mass in the anterior or posterior cervical triangle. The age of the 24 patients ranged from 10 to 51 years, with a median of 19 years. Ten patients were women and 14 men. Hoarseness or difficulty in breathing or swallowing were the first symptoms in eight patients. The tumors were solitary and ranged from 2 to 10 cm in greatest dimension. Microscopically, all of the cases showed the characteristic biphasic cellular pattern of a synovial sarcoma, with epi-thelioid and fibrosarcoma-like areas in varying proportions. Synovioblastic origin of the neoplasm was confirmed by the results of histochemical staining procedures and, in 1 case, by the examination with the electron microscope. Of the 21 cases with followup information, 12 had died (10 with pulmonary metas-tasis) and 9 were alive and free of symptoms. Prompt and complete surgical removal is required to prevent complications from recurrent tumor growth or metastasis.

BACKGROUND Cytokines are polypeptides that constitute a class of chemical mediator molecules that modulate cell growth by inducing specific target gene expression. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of serum evaluation of the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in patients undergoing routine prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening. METHODS In this preliminary, retrospective study, the authors report the development of an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for MIF determination in serum samples. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based assay investigated associations between MIF expression and prostate carcinoma (CaP). The authors developed a relative quantitative reverse transcriptase‐PCR assay to determine MIF mRNA amounts within laser‐capture microscopy (LCM)‐dissected prostate epithelial cells. RESULTS A comparison of serum MIF levels and total PSA levels identified a positive correlation (correlation coefficient [r2] = 0.61; P < 0.001; n = 509 patients), suggesting an association between elevated serum concentrations of these proteins and CaP. A correlation of serum MIF levels with a diagnosis of CaP demonstrated that patients with a previous CaP diagnosis had significantly elevated serum MIF concentrations (mean ± standard deviation, 6.8 ± 0.87 ng/mL; P < 0.001). To associate altered serum MIF levels with MIF mRNA expression within prostate epithelial cells, LCM‐dissected prostate epithelial cells (formalin fixed biopsies from three different patients) were used to determine MIF mRNA amounts by PCR analysis. On average, MIF mRNA amounts were 6.5 times higher in CaP epithelial cells that were invasive to the margin compared with MIF mRNA amounts in normal prostate epithelial cells within the same biopsy specimen. CONCLUSIONS The ELISA data from the current study suggested an association between increased MIF expression and CaP and suggested that serum MIF concentration may serve as a prognostic marker for CaP. Cancer 2002;94:1449–56. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10354

Invasive pigmented squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) of the skin is reportedly rare. Herein, we evaluate an additional five cases and compare their relative frequency with non-pigmented squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Of 46,791 archived cases of SCC, a total of five cases of PSCC were discovered for a relative frequency of approximately 0.01%. Grossly, each tumor presented as a rapidly growing crusted papule on actinic damaged skin of the face. Microscopically, all were composed of a mixture of keratininized squamous cells and melanin-producing dendritic melanocytes. The squamous cells stained for epithelial membrane antigen, and both low and high molecular keratins. The melanocytes stained for S-100 and HMB-45. A matched series of 31 SCCs were subjected to an identical immunohistochemical battery of stains to determine if a histologically subtle and unsuspected number of intratumoral melanocytes existed in SCC. Each of the cases failed to show intratumoral melanocytes. The differential diagnosis and possible histogenesis of PSCC is discussed and the importance of extensive pathologic examination to prevent misdiagnosis is emphasized. Despite the histologic dissimilarity, the long-term prognosis of the reported cases was similar to conventional SCC.

Vasopressin and its binding protein, neurophysin, were measured by radioimmunoassay in the hypophyseal portal blood of monkeys after cannulation of individual long portal veins. Mean vasopressin concentrations (13,800 picograms per milliliter) in portal blood were more than 300 times as high as those in the systemic circulation (42 picograms per milliliter). Neurophysin concentration was approximately 25 times as high in portal as in systemic blood. By immunoperoxidase techniques, high concentrations of neurophysin were demonstrated around portal capillaries of the median eminence. These studies indicate direct secretion of vasopressin and neurophysin into the portal circulation; the quantities secreted during stress may be sufficient to exert significant effects on secretion of anterior pituitary hormone.