The association of human papillomavirus (HPV) with juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis has been well documented. We report two cases of juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis and correlated these cases with presence of HPV, p53 and c-erbB-2 proteins. The first case was a one-year-old male patient and the second a six-year-old female patient. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens were tested for the presence of HPV genome by the technique of in situ hybridisation using wide spectrum and type specific biotinylated probes while the immunohistochemical expression of p53 (D07, 1:50) and c-erbB-2 (DAKO A0485, 1:300) proteins were evaluated with commercially available antibodies. Histologically the tumours in both cases showed papillary configuration of squamous papilloma. The first case detected HPV type 6, HPV type 11 and p53 protein expression while the second case showed only HPV type 6. Both cases of HPV showed positive signals confined to the nuclei in the superficial squamous epithelium. The first case showed p53 positivity seen from the basal region up to one third of the epithelium of laryngeal papillomas and the subsequent recent repeat biopsy showed the positivity of p53 had extended throughout the upper layers of the epithelium. Expression of c-erbB-2 protein was not detected in both cases. These findings were similar as in other studies where follow-up of the cases was recommended since they tend to recur.
The reciprocal translocation t(9;22)(q34;q11) which gives rise to the Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome and BCR/ABL fusion gene, plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In this study, we evaluated the role of fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) in detecting the BCR/ABL rearrangement in CML patients. The sensitivity, specificity and detection rate of BCR/ABL gene using FISH, PCR and conventional cytogenetics (karyotyping) methods were also compared. 18 bone marrow samples of patients with clinically diagnosed CML and suspected of CML were collected. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values of FISH were altogether 100% while the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values for conventional cytogenetics (karyotyping) were 85%, 100% and 100% respectively. Convetional cytogenetics (karyotyping) detected an additional chromosomal aberration in addition to the Ph1 chromosome. In conclusion, FISH is a highly sensitive method in detecting the BCR/ABL gene. Conventional cytogenetics (karyotyping) remains an important investigation in the work up of suspected CML patients since there is a possibility of detecting chromosomal aberrations in addition to the Ph1 translocation. Therefore, conventional cytogenetics (karyotyping) and FISH are complementary techniques and their results should be interpreted together with clinical information.
Proliferasi tumor filodes tertumpu terutama pada bahagian stroma yang dianggap sebagai komponen neoplastik bagi tumor filodes. Reseptor Estrogen (ER) yang memainkan peranan dalam payudara neoplastik juga terlibat dalam perkembangan tumor filodes. ERβ adalah satu jenis klon ER yang dilaporkan hadir pada stroma tumor payudara manakala pengekspresan aktin otot licin (SMA) di stroma dapat membandingkan gred histologi tumor filodes. Kami membandingkan pengekspresan ERβ dengan SMA pada komponen stroma tumor filodes menggunakan teknik tisu mikroarai (TMA). TMA dibentuk ke atas 77 kes tumor filodes (46 benigna, 17 pinggiran dan 14 malignan) menggunakan jarum berdiameter 0.6 mm (Alphelys Plaisir, Perancis) dan pewarnaan imunohistokimia dijalankan menggunakan penanda molekul ERβ dan SMA. Tumor filodes kerap hadir pada wanita berusia lebih daripada 40 tahun dengan tumor filodes benigna menunjukkan median umur pesakit paling rendah (p=0.017). Ekspresi ERβ dalam komponen stroma meningkat dengan gred histologi tumor. Sementara SMA menunjukkan ekspresi pada 62.8, 41.2 dan 57.1%, masing-masing bagi tumor filodes benigna, pinggiran dan malignan. Kedua-dua ERβ (p=0.024) dan SMA lebih cenderung hadir pada wanita ≥40 tahun. Kajian menunjukkan hubungan signifikan antara ko-pengekspresan ERβ dan SMA (p=0.047) dan 65.5% daripadanya adalah wanita berumur lebih daripada 40 tahun. Ekspresi SMA yang tinggi pada stroma tumor filodes benigna mungkin menunjukkan potensi proliferasi tumor ini untuk menjadi malignan. Ekspresi tinggi ERβ dengan tumor filodes malignan dan hubungannya dengan SMA mencadangkan ko-pengekspresan kedua-dua penanda molekul ini mungkin berperanan dalam tumorigenesis stroma tumor filodes.
The identification of chromosomal aberrations in prostate cancer has been widely studied with several known oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes have successfully been discovered. The most frequent aberrations detected in western population were losses in chromosome 5q, 6q, 8p, 13q, 16q, 17p, 18q and gains of 7p/q and 8q. The purpose of this study was to determine the chromosomal aberrations among Malaysian men of Southeast Asia population and discover those potential genes within that chromosomal aberrant region. Thirty-six formalin-fixed paraffin embedded specimens consist of eight organ-confined prostate cancer cases, five with capsular invasion, 14 showed metastasis and nine cases had no tumor stage recorded, were analyzed by array CGH technique. Chromosomal losses were frequently detected at 4q, 6q, 8p, 13q, 18q while gains at 7q, 11q, 12p, 16q and 17q. Gain of 16q24.3 was statistically significant with tumor size. Gains of 6q25.1 and Xq12 as well as losses of 3p13-p1.2 and 13q33.1-q33.3 were significantly correlated with Gleason grade whereas 12p13.31 gain was associated with bone metastasis. Several potential genes have also been found within that aberrant region which is myopodin (4q26-q27), ROBO1 (3p13-p11.2), ERCC5 (13q33.1-q33.3) and CD9 (12p13.31), suggesting that these genes may play a role in prostate cancer progression. The chromosomal aberrations identified by array CGH analysis could provide important clues to discover potential genes associated with prostate tumorigenesis of Malaysian men.
This is a study aimed to examine the distribution pattern of a specific minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (MCM2) in benign and malignant breast tissue. We also aim to correlate the frequency of expression of MCM2 with the degree of tumor differentiation. We used immunohistochemistry to examine the distribution and expression pattern of MCM2 on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections of benign (n = 30) and malignant breast tissue (n = 70) (IDC 56, DCIS 4, ILC 2, nonductal 4, mixed type 4). We quantified MCM2 expression by calculating a labeling index, which represents the percentage of epithelial nuclei that stained positively. Immunoreactivity was heterogenous in all the 70 malignant cases examined. Epithelial cells in cycle are most frequent at the tumor periphery. Labeling index of MCM2 was greatest in grade 3 (poorly differentiated) and lowest in grade 1 tumors (well differentiated). Minichromosome maintenance protein 2 expression in breast cancer showed a positive association with histologic grade (P < .05). In all the benign breast tissue examined, no proliferating compartments could be characterized. Minichromosome maintenance protein 2 is a useful proliferative marker of breast carcinoma. The frequency of expression of MCM2 showed an inverse correlation with the degree of tumor differentiation.