METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study consisted of 21 pregnant women with hypertension and 23 without hypertension. The gestational age ranged from 28 to 39 weeks (hypertensive) and 32 to 40 weeks (normotensive). The paraffin embedded formalin fixed placenta tissue blocks were retrieved from the pathology archives. Endocan immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue sections of full thickness and maternal surface of the placenta. The endocan expression was determined in fetal endothelial cells, maternal endothelial cells, cytotrophoblasts, syncytiotrophoblasts and decidual cells. The differences in endocan expression in placenta between hypertensive and normotensive subjects were evaluated by Pearson chi-square test and t-test were used in the statistical analysis.
RESULTS: The endocan expression was significantly higher in fetal endothelial cells (P
METHODOLOGY: A total of 59 benign and malignant spindle cell tumours (18 MPNST and 41 of its histologic mimickers which included 10 schwannoma, 13 neurofibroma, 4 synovial sarcoma, 3 fibrosarcoma, 2 gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), 4 leiomyosarcoma, 1 spindle cell liposarcoma, 1 solitary fibrous tumour, 2 low grade fibromyxoid sarcoma and 1 unclassified spindle cell sarcoma), diagnosed from January 1998 to April 2018 in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) were tested for H3K27me3 by IHC. The MPNST histological grade was assessed based on the French Fe'de' ration Nationale des Centres de LutteContre le Cancer (FNCLCC) for 3 tiers system (low grade, intermediate grade and high grade). The clinicopathological data were retrieved from the patients' record.
RESULTS: A total of 61.1% (11/18 MPNST) showed loss of H3K27me3 expression which is statistically significant as compared to its histologic mimics (p<0.001). Similar findings (p=0.026) were also observed in high grade MPNST (81.8%), intermediate grade MPNST (100%) and 0% in low grade MPNST.
CONCLUSION: H3K27me3, combined with other panel of markers, is useful in MPNST diagnosis to differentiate it from the histological mimickers.
Methodology: Serum samples from six BAVM patients and three control subjects were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) for OPN. A total of 10 BAVM patients and five control subjects were analyzed using Multiplex ELISA for MMPs. A total of 16 BAVM tissue samples and two normal brain tissue samples were analyzed using immunohistochemistry.
Result: MMP-2 and -9 were significantly higher in the serum of BAVM patients before and after treatment than in control patients. There were no significant differences of OPN and MMP-9 serum level in BAVM patients before and after treatment. MMP-2 showed a significant elevation after the treatment. Expression of OPN, MMP-2 and -9 proteins were seen in endothelial cells, perivascular cells and brain parenchyma of BAVM tissues.
Conclusion: Findings revealed that the level of MMP-2 and -9 in the serum correlated well with the expression in BAVM tissues in several cases. Knockdown studies will be required to determine the relationships and mechanisms of action of these markers in the near future. In addition, studies will be required to investigate the expression of these markers' potential applications as primary medical therapy targets for BAVM patients.
METHODS: Smaller micro tissues (˂150 μm in diameter) mixed with Matrigel were engrafted subcutaneously into NSG mice to generate the passage 1 (P1) patient-derived xenograft. The micro tumours from P1 patient-derived xenograft were then excised and orthotopically xenografted into another batch of NSG mice to generate a metastatic colorectal cancer patient-derived xenograft, P2. Haematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemistry staining were performed to compare the characters between patient-derived xenograft tumours and primary tumours.
RESULTS: About 16 out of 18 P1 xenograft models successfully grew a tumour for 50.8 ± 5.1 days (success rate 89.9%). Six out of eight P1 xenograft models originating from metastatic patients successfully grew tumours in the colon and metastasized to liver or lung in the NSG recipients for 60.9 ± 4.5 days (success rate 75%). Histological examination of both P1 and P2 xenografts closely resembled the histological architecture of the original patients' tumours. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed similar biomarker expression levels, including CDH17, Ki-67, active β-catenin, Ki-67 and α smooth muscle actin when compared with the original patients' tumours. The stromal components that support the growth of patient-derived xenograft tumours were of murine origin.
CONCLUSIONS: Metastatic patient-derived xenograft mouse model could be established with shorter time and higher success rate. Although the patient-derived xenograft tumours were supported by the stromal cells of murine origin, they retained the dominant characters of the original patient tumours.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the lung between 2010 and 2014 were tested for EGFR mutations. Of these, 92 cases were identified as EGFR wild type and suitable candidates for ALK testing utilising immunohistochemistry and the rabbit monoclonal antibody D5F3. The reliability of the IHC was confirmed by validating the results against those achieved by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) to detect ALK gene rearrangements.
RESULTS: Twelve (13%) cases were positive for ALK expression using immunohistochemistry. Of the 18 evaluable cases tested by FISH, there was 100% agreement with respect to ALK rearrangement/ALK expression between the assays, with 11 cases ALK negative and 7 cases ALK positive by both assays. ALK tumour expression was significantly more common in female compared to male patients (29.6% vs. 6.2%, P
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected 54 malignant and 65 benign thyroid lesions diagnosed by histology in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre between January 2010 and December 2015. All cases were immunohistochemically stained with CK 19 and evaluated by 3 independent observers. The immunostaining patterns were scored based on the intensity and proportion of staining and finally graded as negative, weak positive, moderate positive or strong positive. In addition, the immunostaining scores of the malignant cases were correlated with their TNM pathological tumour stages.
RESULTS: Cytokeratin 19 staining expression was higher in malignant than benign thyroid lesions (p < 0.001) which was most prominent among classical PTC. The four PTC cases that showed negative or weak staining were all follicular variant of PTC. Benign conditions were mostly negative or showed weak positivity. There was no correlation between CK 19 expression and TNM primary tumour stage (pT).
CONCLUSION: Cytokeratin 19 is a useful marker in differentiating malignant from benign thyroid conditions particularly the classical PTC, provided its interpretation is by correlation with morphology and takes into consideration the intensity and proportion of positive staining.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: E-cadherin and Galectin-9 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in 32 cases of OSCC of the buccal mucosa (13 with and 19 without lymph node metastasis), as well as 6 samples of reactive lesions and 5 of normal buccal mucosa.
RESULTS: The expression of E-cadherin in OSCC was significantly lower than the control tissues but galectin-9 expression was conversely higher. Median E-cadherin HSCOREs between OSCCs positive and negative for nodal metastasis were not significantly different. Mean HSCOREs for galectin-9 in OSCC without lymph node metastasis (127.7 ± 81.8) was higher than OSCC with lymph node metastasis (97.9 ± 62.9) but this difference was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: E-cadherin expression is reduced whilst galectin-9 expression is increased in OSCC. However, the present results suggest that E-cadherin and galectin-9 expression may not be useful as prognostic markers for OSCC.