Immunohistochemical expression of the glucose transporters Glut-1 and Glut-3 in human malignant melanomas and benign melanocytic lesions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Reported data indicate that cancer cells have increased rates of glucose metabolism, as determined by 18FDG-PET imaging in patients with malignancies. The results of many studies have demonstrated that the expression of glucose transporters, especially Glut-1, is increased in a variety of malignancies. This study was undertaken to assess the differential expression of Glut-1 and Glut-3 by benign and malignant melanocytic lesions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Immunohistochemical staining for Glut-1 and Glut-3 was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue sections prepared from melanocytic nevi (12 cases), Spitz nevi (12 cases) and primary cutaneous malignant melanomas (20 cases).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed immunoreactivity for Glut-1 in all melanocytic nevi, 9 of the 12 Spitz nevi and in 9 of the 20 malignant melanomas, whereas Glut-3 was expressed in all the melanocytic lesions, both benign and malignant.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings indicate that the glucose transporters Glut-1 and Glut-3 play a role in the glucose metabolism of melanocytic cells. Glut-1 was present in the majority of benign nevi, whereas its expression was downregulated in 55% of malignant melanomas. Our results suggest that glucose transporter Glut-1 expression can significantly discriminate between human malignant melanoma and benign melanocytic nevi, and support the idea that additional mechanisms other than Glut-1 may contribute to glucose uptake in melanomas.</p

Primary intramedullary neurocytoma: case report and literature analysis

Background:Primary intramedullary neurocytoma is extremely rare. Due to its rarity, it is difficult to collect a wide series in a single institution to perform a survival analysis and give indications about prognosis and treatment.Case Description:Here, we report on a case of a 37-year-old woman with primary intramedullary neurocytoma and perform a systematic statistical analysis of cases reported in the literature. Of 21 articles found, 15 studies and the present case (22 patients) were eligible for the analysis. We studied the impact of age, sex, number of involved levels ( 642 vs. >2), entity of resection, postoperative radiotherapy (RT), proliferation index (Ki67) on the neurological outcome of patients, and on the recurrence of the tumor. Comparison of categorical variables was performed by the \u3c72 statistic. The Kaplan\u2013Meier curves were plotted to calculate the progression-free survival (PFS) of these patients. PConclusions:We think that the goal of the surgery should be to preserve a good neurological function even if a residual tumor has to be left. Ki67 should be always evaluated due to its impact on the prognosis. Although adjuvant RT significantly improved the neurological function, its role in preventing the tumor recurrence is not clearly defined

Expression of iNOS, CD163 and ARG-1 taken as M1 and M2 markers of microglial polarization in human glioblastoma and the surrounding normal parenchyma

Microglia and macrophages appear to be the most common cells in the GBM microenvironment. In the present study we investigated the status of macrophages/microglia activation in surgical specimens from 41 patients diagnosed with grade IV GBM. For each patient we analyzed both the center of tumor and the parenchyma surrounding the tumor. The specimens were stained for: i) IBA1, a 17-kDa EF hand protein specifically expressed in microglia/macrophages ii) CD163, a cell surface antigen associated with M2 phenotype; iii) iNOS, taken as a functional marker of M1 phenotype, and iv) ARG-I, taken as a functional marker of M2 phenotype. Staining was scored in a double-blinded score on a scale from 0 to 5. Our results suggest that CD163 expression is higher within the tumor than in surrounding periphery in both male and female patients; while iNOS is higher within the tumor in males, no significant difference was found for ARG-1. In addition, analyzing the data in TGCA database, we found that CD163 expression was significantly and inversely correlated with mean survival times, with average survival times ranging from 448&nbsp;days in patients having low expression, to 319 in mid, and 353 in patients with high CD163 expressing tumors. In contrast, no significant association was found between survival time and ARG-1 or iNOS expression

Basal cell adenoma with S-100 positive stroma: a case report and literature review

Basal cell adenoma (BCA) of the salivary gland with presence of abundant S-100-positive stromal cells has been rarely reported. A case occurring in a 75-year-old man is presented here, as well as a review of the literature on the subject. The patient presented with a nodule in the right parotid gland. In addition to the typical features of BCA, histologically the resected tumor showed a substantial amount of stroma rich in S-100-positive spindle cells, a rarely reported finding in BCA. These cells were unreactive with a panel of myoepithelial markers, including calponin, p63, muscle-specific actin (MSA), smooth muscle actin (SMA), cytokeratin 14 (CK14), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Our results, in accordance with other reports, do not support a myoepithelial nature of these S-100-positive cells, and their precise nature remains elusive

Effect of PDGF, IGF-1 and PRP on the implant osseointegration. An histological and immunohistochemical study in rabbits

The ability of platelet-derived growth factor(PDGF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to increase the rate of osseointegration of endosseous implants and to improve the quality of bone remodeling on the surface of titanium, has been investigated in an experimental intraosseous defect model by an histological and immunohistochemical evaluation. The results from this study demonstrate that rabbits treated with the combination PDGF/IGF-1 showed a higher positive effect on bone regeneration than PRP-treated or controls

Unusual presentation of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (Masson's tumor)

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia is a rare, exuberant form of reactive endothelial proliferation which can mimic benign and malignant vascular tumors. In this report, we describe a 22-year-old man presenting with a 2.5 cm nodule on his left foot, near the first metatarsal head. The patient underwent total excision of the lesion, with subsequent histological diagnosis of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia arising within a thrombosed periosteal vein. After nine months from surgery, the patient is alive and well, with no evidence of local recurrence

Effect of PDGF, IGF-1 and PRP on the implant osseointegration. An histological and immunohistochemical study in rabbits.

The ability of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to increase the rate of osseointegration of endosseous implants and to improve the quality of bone remodeling on the surface of titanium, has been investigated in an experimental intraosseous defect model by an histological and immunohistochemical evaluation. The results from this study demonstrate that rabbits treated with the combination PDGF/IGF-1 showed a higher positive effect on bone regeneration than PRP-treated or controls