Expression and prognostic role of syndecan-2 in prostate cancer

Syndecans are a four-member family of transmembrane heparan sulphate proteoglycans that have different functions in cell signalling, adhesion, cytoskeleton organization, migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis. Several studies investigated the role of syndecan-2 (SDC2) in different carcinomas; however, only one being focused on SDC2 in prostate cancer. SDC2 expression and relationship with established prognostic features were assessed in a cohort of 86 patients treated with radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate adenocarcinoma. SDC2 expression was present in the majority of prostate cancers and absent in only 11.6% of cases. SDC2 expression was also recorded in cells of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, whereas normal prostatic epithelial tissue and stroma did not express SDC2. SDC2 overexpression in prostate cancer was significantly associated with established features indicative of worse prognosis such as higher preoperative PSA (P=0.011), higher Gleason score (P<0.001), positive surgical margins (P<0.003), and extraprostatic extension of disease (P<0.003). Moreover, expression of SDC2 was also associated with biochemical disease progression on univariate analysis (P<0.001). Study results supported the potential role of SDC2 in prostatic carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Moreover, SDC2 could serve as an additional prognostic marker that might help in further stratifying the risk of disease progression in patients with prostate cancer

CARDIOPULMONARY ADAPTATIONS AND MALADAPTATIONS TO THE CHRONIC INTERMITTENT HYPOXIA ASSOCIATED WITH REPETITIVE APNEA DIVING

M. Bryant-Ekstrand1, T. Kelly1, C. Brown2, R. Lord3, T. Dawkins3, A. Drane3, O. Barak4, T. Dragun5, M. Stembridge3, B. Spajić6, I. Drviš6, J.W. Duke7, G. Foster2, Z. Dujic5, AT. Lovering1 1University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA, 2University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada, 3Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, Wales, UK, 4University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia, 5University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia, 6University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, 7Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA Breath-hold divers (BHD) routinely place themselves into extremely hypoxemic (low blood oxygen) conditions and therefore repeatedly expose themselves to intermittent bouts of hypoxia and consequently pulmonary hypertension and increased right heart work. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to 1) determine if pulmonary arterial pressure and right heart dysfunction in hypoxia were greater in BHD compared to controls, and 2) determine the role of a pulmonary vasodilator in alleviating the increased pulmonary pressure in response to hypoxia. METHODS: Subjects (n=24, 12 BHD, 12 Control) completed two 30-minute isocapnic normobaric hypoxic breathing challenges, after receiving either 50mg sildenafil or placebo, with a 48-hour minimum washout period between visits. Pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) and right heart function via tricuspid anular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) measures were made using Doppler ultrasound, and total pulmonary resistance (TPR) was calculated with PASP and cardiac output (Qt). RESULTS: Compared to placebo, BHD had a reduction in TPR with sildenafil in normoxia (312.5 ± 92.8 vs 385 ± 122.6 dynes/sec/cm-5, respectively, p = .04). Compared to normoxia, PASP was increased with hypoxia in BHDc with placebo (22.9±6.0 vs. 32.4±8.9 mm Hg, respectively, p=0.0002) but not with sildenafil. Conversely, BHD had no changes in PASP with placebo, but had an increase in PASP from normoxia to hypoxia with sildenafil (22.3±4.8 vs. 31.5±6.9 mm Hg, respectively, p=0.0002). CONCLUSION: There was no effect of group or treatment on TAPSE. Our data suggest breath hold divers may have a previously unrecognized chronic pulmonary vasoconstriction in room air that is prevented with administration of sildenafil. Funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) 2018 Collaborative Research Travel Grant (CRTG) and the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant

Can renal oncocytoma be distinguished from chromophobe renal cell carcinoma by the presence of fibrous capsule?

The most important differential diagnosis of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (CRCC) is renal oncocytoma. Due to overlapping morphological characteristics of renal oncocytoma and CRCC, particularly its eosinophilic variant, making a correct diagnosis can be challenging. To date, no data are available on the presence of the tumor fibrous capsule as a diagnostic feature in differentiating these tumors. The main purpose of this study was to establish the presence and compare the thickness of the tumor fibrous capsule between two tumor groups. A total of 37 tumors--18 cases of CRCC (three eosinophilic and 15 classic) and 19 cases of renal oncocytoma--were analyzed. Four slides of each tumor stained with hematoxylin and eosin were first scanned at low-power magnification (x40) to assess the presence of the capsule. If present, the capsule was measured in three different thickest areas at higher magnification (x200). The mean value of capsule thickness was calculated and taken into consideration. The capsule was present in 12 (66.7%) cases of CRCCs and in only two (10.5%) cases of renal oncocytomas. Statistical analysis showed significant difference between the presence of fibrous capsule in these two observed tumor groups (P = 0.001). Average thickness of capsule in CRCCs was 337.7 microm, and 115.4 microm in renal oncocytomas, but the median was not statistically significant (P = 0.198). Studies with a larger number of cases are needed to conclude if this characteristic could be a low-cost, reliable microscopic feature in differentiating between CRCC and renal oncocytoma