Gland Type Research Articles

Gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type: clinicopathological analysis of six cases

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland(GA-FG). Methods: A total of 6 patients with GA-FG admitted from January 2014 to May 2019 were identified at Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital.Analyzed endoscopic findings, pathological characteristics and immunohistochemical staining of the lesions and reviewed relevant literatures. Results: Among the 6 patients, 3 were male, 3 were female, and the mean age was 66 years. The most common clinical presentation was epigastric discomfort. Gastroscopic examination revealed an elevated or flat lesion in the body of the stomach, with a diameter of 0.4 to 1.0 cm. Histopathologically, they mainly composed of main cells, but there were also scattered parietal cells, arranged in an irregular tubular or cord-like structure, and formed anastomosis branches. The tumor cells were immunohistochemically positive for MUC6 and pepsinogen 1. Conclusions: GA-FG is a rare variant of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. It is important to understand its clinical features and histological morphology for more accurate diagnosis.

Role of submucosal glands in the development and progression of carcinoma in Barrett's oesophagus

Oesophageal submucosal glands secrete mucins and other chemicals that are believed to serve as protectants of the mucosal surface from luminal noxious agents, either ingested or refluxed. Changes in the type, distribution or number of submucosal glands may contribute to, or be associated with, the development of Barrett's oesophagus and progression to cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the anatomical, morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of submucosal glands in Barrett's oesophagus-associated neoplasia in 64 oesophageal resections for Barrett's oesophagus-associated adenocarcinoma and 32 squamous cell carcinomas (as a control group). Gland density was not significantly different between the oesophageal adenocarcinoma (0.91/cm) and squamous cell carcinoma (0.81/cm) groups (p=0.7). In the oesophageal adenocarcinoma group, glands underlying Barrett's oesophagus-associated neoplastic epithelium showed a significant decrease in the percentage of mucinous acini and a significant increase in the percentage of atrophic acini compared to glands underlying epithelium without dysplasia or carcinoma (74% vs 83%, p=0.03; and 24% vs 14%, p=0.01). There was also an increase in the percentage of glands with moderate to severe inflammation underlying neoplastic epithelium compared to glands underlying epithelium without dysplasia or carcinoma (53% vs 33%, p=0.001). None of these differences was seen in the squamous cell carcinoma group. The immunohistochemical characteristics of the different histological subtypes were also distinct. Atrophic and oncocytic acini were diffusely and strongly positive for CK7, SOX2, SOX9 and CK5/6 (a progenitor cell phenotype) while mucinous acini showed weak or moderate staining for those markers. Our results suggest that submucosal glands play a role in the progression of neoplasia, possibly by offering less protection to the mucosal surface of the oesophageal epithelium from chemical injury.

HEREDITARY PITUITARY TUMOR SYNDROMES: GENETIC AND CLINICAL ASPECTS.

The pituitary gland is responsible for the synthesis and secretion of various hormones that play a key role in regulating endocrine function and homeostasis. Pituitary adenomas (PA) are benign epithelial tumors arising from the endocrine cells of the anterior pituitary gland. Clinically relevant PA are relatively common and they occur in 0.1% of the general population. They are mostly benign monoclonal neoplasms that arise from any of the five hormone-secreting cell types of the anterior pituitary gland. PA are categorized as either functioning or non-functioning, depending on whether or not they produce a hormonal hypersecretion syndrome. Both functioning and non-functioning adenomas can produce symptoms or signs resulting from compression of the optic chiasm or invasion of cavernous sinuses. Only 5% of PA occur within the context of hereditary syndromes with reasonably well-defined oncogenic mechanisms. The vast majority of PA are sporadic, and their etiopathogenesis remains largely unknown. Pituitary tumor oncogenesis involves several mechanisms that eventually lead to abnormal cell proliferation and dysregulated hormone production. Among these factors, we found inactivating mutations of tumor suppressor genes, activating mutation of oncogenes and the participation of hormonal signals coming from the hypothalamus, all resulting in cell-cycle regulation abnormalities. In this review, we summarize the clinical and pathophysiological aspects of the different hereditary pituitary tumor syndromes.

Endoscopic and Pathological Characteristics of Helicobacter pylori Infection-Negative Early Gastric Cancer

Background: The characteristics of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection-negative gastric cancer (HPINGC) have not been well documented because of the rareness. The aim of this study was to classify HPINGC endoscopically and clinicopathologically. Methods: This retrospective study included 1,741 early gastric cancer lesions and evaluated their HP infection status. Expression levels of MUC5AC, MUC6, MUC2, CD10, p53, MIB-1, pepsinogen-I, H⁺/K⁺ ATPase, chromogranin A, E-cadherin, and gastrin were evaluated in tumors by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: Among the analyzed lesions, 19 (1.1%) were diagnosed as HPINGC and classified into 6 types: undifferentiated (5 lesions), fundic gland (2 lesions), cardiac gland (1 lesion), pyloric gland (3 lesions), foveolar (5 lesions), and mixed (3 lesions) types. Undifferentiated lesions were of pale color, with unclear demarcation and decreased E-cadherin expression. Fundic-type lesions were tan to reddish in color, with submucosal tumor-like protrusions, and positive for pepsinogen-I and H⁺/K⁺ ATPase. The cardiac gland type was located in the gastroesophageal junction and was positive for MUC6 and pepsinogen-I. Pyloric gland-type lesions were of the same color as normal mucosa, with mild elevation and unclear demarcation, likely positive for CD10 and chromogranin A. Foveolar epithelial-type lesions were white and elevated, with defined demarcation, and contained MUC5AC-positive cells. Mixed-type lesions, showing various staining patterns in IHC, had both elevated and depressed shape and reddish color. Conclusion: Endoscopic observation and IHC were useful for classifying the characteristics of HPINGC, which may preserve the characteristics of its region of origin.

Seasonal variations in histomorphology and histochemistry of the prostate gland of buffalo bulls

The prostate glands of buffalo bulls were collected from an abattoir immediately after slaughter and were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for paraffin block preparation by an acetone-benzene schedule. Paraffin sections of 3-5 μm were obtained on glass slides with a rotary microtome and were stained with various histomorphological and histochemical stains. The distributions of glandular acini and ducts were variable throughout the length of the pelvic urethra. The disseminate part of the prostate gland was derived from the epithelium of the pelvic urethra and was a compound tubulo-alveolar type of gland. The glandular acini comprised three types of cells, i.e. principal (serous cells), mucous, and narrow dark cells. In winter, the lumen of the acini became wider than in summer. The amount of glandular tissue decreased from winter to summer, whereas a reverse pattern was observed in the stroma. The prostatic concretions were larger and centrally placed during winter but became peripheral in summer. The average epithelial height of prostatic acini varied significantly between seasons. The activity of neutral mucopolysaccharides, basic proteins, lipids, and phospholipids was higher in winter than summer, whereas that of acid mucopolysaccharides was higher in summer than winter.

Radiological and Pathological Assessment of the 2017 Revised International Association of Pancreatology Consensus Guidelines for Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm, With an Emphasis on the Gastric Pyloric Gland Type.

This study aimed to assess the pitfalls of the current International Association of Pancreatology guidelines (IAPCG2017) for pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) and identify the criteria for future guidelines. Eighty surgically resected, consecutive IPMN cases were analyzed. Data including tumor site, IPMN duct type, and surgery type were collected. Based on radiological data, cases were retrospectively classified as high-risk stigmata (HRS) and non-HRS. Pathological grades and histological subtypes of IPMN cases were determined. Severe stromal sclerosis of the IPMN septa/marked parenchymal atrophy in the upstream pancreas was investigated pathologically. Positive/negative predictive values of the IAPCG2017 were calculated. Clinicopathological features of HRS-benign cases (pathologically benign IPMN cases meeting the HRS criteria) were extracted. The positive/negative predictive values were 72.7%/64.0%, 70.0%/34.6%, and 54.0%/63.3% for IAPCG2017, HRS-main pancreatic duct, and HRS-nodule criteria, respectively. The 15 HRS-benign cases (18.8%) included 13 pancreatoduodenectomies and 10 cases of gastric pyloric (GP) gland subtype. Severe upstream atrophy was significantly related to IPMN malignancy, unlike the severe sclerosis of IPMN septa. Benign IPMNs of GP subtype are sometimes categorized as HRS with the IAPCG2017. Collecting data on the natural course of GP-IPMN is necessary. To evaluate upstream atrophy may be of value to predict IPMN malignancy.

PSMA PET/CT Identifies Intrapatient Variation in Salivary Gland Toxicity From Iodine-131 Therapy.

Introduction:Xerostomia is a well-known complication after iodine-131 (131I) therapy for thyroid carcinoma. It is currently insufficiently understood how the dose and biodistribution of 131I relates to salivary gland toxicity, and whether this is consistent for all salivary glands within a single patient. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) was recently introduced as a new tool to evaluate the relative loss of vital acinar cells in individual salivary glands. We aimed to assess gland-specific salivary gland toxicity after 131I-therapy using PSMA PET/CT.Methods:Five patients with differentiated thyroid cancer underwent [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT to evaluate their eligibility for peptide radioligand therapy with [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617. Uptake patterns in salivary glands were evaluated visually and quantitatively as an indicator of vital acinar cell loss after prior 131I-therapy.Results:Four of 5 patients demonstrated significant lowered uptake in at least one salivary gland, after receiving at least 2 131I-treatments. Asymmetric loss of vital acinar cells occurred by gland type (parotid/submandibular) and location (right/left). The other salivary glands in these patients and all salivary glands in the fifth patient showed normal uptake, demonstrating high intrapatient and interpatient variability.Conclusions: 131I-therapy can induce salivary gland toxicity with high inter- but also high intrapatient variation among separate gland locations, which can be assessed with PSMA PET/CT. This new technique offers potential to guide further development and evaluation of protective measures in patients receiving 131I-therapy.

The coevolution between telson morphology and venom glands in scorpions (Arachnida).

As in previous contributions to the JVATiTD, the aim of this note is to bring some general information on a particular aspect of the scorpion biology. An attempt is made to explain the possible coevolution of telson morphology and venom glands, which took place during several hundred million years and in particular since scorpions migrated from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Three components can be directly associated with predation and defensive behaviours: (1) morphology of the chelae and structure of the chelae fingers granulations; (2) morphology of the metasoma and in particular of the telson; (3) evolution of tegumentary glands in the telson toward different types of venom glands. Since a number of recent contributions already treated some of these aspects, I will limit my comments to the possible evolution of the telson in relation to the evolution of venom glands. As in previous contributions, the content of this article is basically addressed to non-specialists on scorpions whose research embraces scorpions in several fields such as venom toxins and public health.

Personalized Approach to Determination of Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein and E-Cadherin in Supernatants of Immunocompetent Blood Cells and Breast Biopsy Specimens in Breast Malignant and Non-Malignant Disease.

The material of patients with invasive carcinoma of no special type (ICNT) and nonmalignant diseases (ND) of the mammary gland was studied. When comparing the concentrations of histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) and E-cadherin (CDH1), statistically significant differences between ICNT and ND by HRG in the supernatant of blood cells and its spontaneous production by biopsies and by CDH1 at its induced production, as well as by influence indices of polyclonal activators on the production of CDH1 were found. When comparing the expression of immunohistochemical markers, no statistically significant differences between ICNT and ND were obtained.

Functional Specialization of Human Salivary Glands and Origins of Proteins Intrinsic to Human Saliva

Salivary proteins facilitate food perception and digestion, maintain the integrity of the mineralized tooth and oral epithelial surfaces, and shield the oro-digestive tract from environmental hazards and invading pathogens. Saliva, as one of the easiest to collect body fluids, also serves in diagnostic applications, with its proteins providing a window to body health. However, despite the availability of the human saliva proteome, the origins of individual proteins remain unclear. To bridge this gap, we analyzed the transcriptomes of 27 tissue samples derived from the three major types of human adult and fetal salivary glands and integrated these data with the saliva proteome and the proteomes and transcriptomes of 28+ other human organs, with tissue expression confirmed by 3D microscopy. Using these tools, we have linked saliva proteins to their source for the first time, an outcome with significant implications for basic research and diagnostic applications. Furthermore, our study represents the first comparative transcriptomic analysis of human adult and fetal exocrine organs, providing evidence that functional specialization occurs late in salivary gland development, and is driven mainly by the transcription of genes encoding secreted saliva proteins. Moreover, we found that dosage of abundant saliva proteins secreted by the salivary glands is primarily regulated at the transcriptional level, and that secreted proteins can be synthesized by distinct subsets of serous acinar cells, revealing hitherto unrecognized heterogeneity in the acinar cell lineage. Our results reveal the functional underpinnings of these secretory organs, paving the way for future investigations into saliva biology and pathology.

Analysis of Prostate Adenocarcinoma Histopathological Types in Relation to Tumor Grade.

Prostate adenocarcinomas are some of the most common malignancies diagnosed in men, and the evaluation of tumor growth patterns is the basis for establishing the aggressiveness of the lesions. The study included 283 cases of prostate adenocarcinomas for which histopathological type and tumor grade were analyzed. The results indicated the association of ductal, sarcomatoid and signet ring-like cell types with aggressive growth patterns and high scores, atrophic and pseudohyperplastic types with mild growth patterns and low scores, foamy gland type presented intermediate growth patterns/scores, while conventional and colloid types had variable aspects. The grading systems used may be considered consistent with the histological types of prostate adenocarcinomas.

The Evolution of Dragline Initiation in Spiders: Multiple Transitions from Multi- to Single-Gland Usage

Despite the recognition of spider silk as a biological super-material and its dominant role in various aspects of a spider’s life, knowledge on silk use and silk properties is incomplete. This is a major impediment for the general understanding of spider ecology, spider silk evolution and biomaterial prospecting. In particular, the biological role of different types of silk glands is largely unexplored. Here, I report the results from a comparative study of spinneret usage during silk anchor and dragline spinning. I found that the use of both anterior lateral spinnerets (ALS) and posterior median spinnerets (PMS) is the plesiomorphic state of silk anchor and dragline spinning in the Araneomorphae, with transitions to ALS-only use in the Araneoidea and some smaller lineages scattered across the spider tree of life. Opposing the reduction to using a single spinneret pair, few taxa have switched to using all ALS, PMS and the posterior lateral spinnerets (PLS) for silk anchor and dragline formation. Silk fibres from the used spinnerets (major ampullate, minor ampullate and aciniform silk) were generally bundled in draglines after the completion of silk anchor spinning. Araneoid spiders were highly distinct from most other spiders in their draglines, being composed of major ampullate silk only. This indicates that major ampullate silk properties reported from comparative measurements of draglines should be handled with care. These observations call for a closer investigation of the function of different silk glands in spiders.

Clinical value of quantitative parameters by spectral CT in parotid gland tumor

This study aimed to investigate the value of normalized iodine concentration (NIC), spectral attenuation curve slope (SACS), area under curve (AUC), and iodine concentration difference (ICD) generated from spectral CT in the assessment of parotid gland tumors. Ninety-two patients with pathologically confirmed parotid gland tumors underwent arterial phase- and venous phase-enhanced CT in spectral CT. The patients were divided into the pleomor-phic adenoma group (group A), Warthin tumor group (group B), basal cell tumor group (group C), and malignant tumor group (group D). The SACS, AUC, NIC, ICD were measured and analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed by one-way ANOVA, and statistical significance was set at P<0.05. SACS(AP), AUC(AP), and NIC(AP) in group A were lower than those in other groups; SACS(VP) and AUC(VP) in group C were higher than those in other groups; NIC(AP) and NIC(VP) in group D were higher than those in other groups; and ICD in group B was a positive number. The difference in SACS(AP) and AUC(AP) in groups B and C, SACS(VP) and AUC(VP) in groups C and D, and ICD in groups A and C were not statistically significant. By contrast, the diffe-rence between the other groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The difference in NIC(AP) between groups A and B and groups C and D and the difference in NIC(VP) between groups A and C, groups A and D, and groups B and C were statistically significant (P=0.005, 0.025, 0.002, 0.038, and 0.049, respectively). Multi-quantitative parameters from spectral CT might be helpful in differentiating various types of parotid gland tumors.

LAPTM4B-35 expression is associated with pathological grades and clinical stages in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies of the head and neck. The lysosome-associated protein transmembrane-4β gene (LAPTM4B) is a novel oncogene that has been found overexpressed in a number of clinically aggressive cancers. This study aimed to investigate the expression of the LAPTM4B-35 protein in normal salivary gland and salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma, a relatively indolent malignancy, and explore its clinicopathological significance in this malignancy. By immunohistochemical analysis, LAPTM4B-35 expression was evaluated in 106 cancer tissues, their adjacent non-cancerous tissues and five normal salivary glands. The correlation of LAPTM4B-35 expression with clinicopathological parameters was assessed using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. The level of LAPTM4B-35 expression varied among different cell types of normal salivary glands. It was expressed at a fairly low level in serous and mucous acini, at low level in intercalated duct and excretory duct cells and moderately in secretory/striated ducts. In 50% of high grade tumor tissues tested, LAPTM4B-35 was markedly overexpressed. LAPTM4B-35 levels were significantly associated with histological grade and clinical stage. LAPTM4B-35 plays an important role in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma and may serve as a diagnostic marker and a target for individualized therapy.

Infrared thermal imaging as a nonradiation method for detecting thermal expression characteristics in normal female breasts in China

BackgroundInfrared thermal imaging technology (IRTI) is a physical technology applied in many fields, including the screening of breast cancer. However, IRTI is still in a primary stage in our country. The purpose of this paper was to explore the characteristics of breast temperature distribution and the correlations among BMI, mammary gland types and surface temperature distributions in normal Chinese female patients. MethodsThirty-five subjects who underwent successive IRTI and mammography (excluding those with positive findings on clinical examination or mammography) were analyzed by two experience radiologists. ResultsThe breast temperature distribution of normal females was symmetrical, and the mean temperature of both sides was almost equal (left:33.13 ± 2.48 °C, right: 33.04 ± 2.55 °C, P = 0.077, n = 35). The nipple areas had the lowest temperatures among all areas of the breast; in contrast, the bilateral axillary and inframammary folds showed relatively high temperatures. The temperature of the upper left quadrant was higher than that of the right side (left:33.45 ± 2.68 °C, right: 33.30 ± 2.67 °C, P = 0.011, n = 35). The temperature in the upper quadrant was higher than that of the lower quadrant. There were no significant differences among patients with different ages, BMI and mammary gland types in surface temperature distributions. ConclusionCertain expression characteristics of breast thermograms of normal females could help us determine the characteristics of abnormal women.

178P - Chief cell in stomach have stem cell activity and potential to develop gastric cancer

BackgroundRapidly proliferating stomach stem cells have been predicted to be located at the isthmus of both corpus and antrum. We recently identified such stem cells by using 270 bp Runx1 enhancer element, eR1 (Gastroenterol, 2017). In addition, eR1 also marked small number of fully differentiated chief cells in the corpus. We investigated whether chief cells have stem cell activity and can be an origin of gastric cancer, particularly because there are disagreements among the researchers. MethodsWe generated knock-in mice of pepsinogen C-CreERT2 and crossed them with Rosa26-EYFP mice or pepsinogen A-CreERT2 and crossed them with Rosa26-tdTomato mice for lineage tracing. PGC-CreERT2 mice were also crossed with K-rasG12D/+, Trp53flox/flox and Apcflox/floxmice for carcinogenesis model. Those mice were injected with Tamoxifen 2 mg alternate days for 6 timesto activate Cre recombinase in the chief cells. ResultsBy activating Cre recombinase, we showed that relatively small number of chief cells was retro-differentiated into neck, parietal, pit and enteroendocrinecells suggesting that chief cells underwent differentiation in exact reverse order to make a complete gland unit. When K-rasG12Dwas activated by pepsinogen C-CreERT2, induction of metaplasia was observed. Addition of p53 knockout with K-rasG12Dinto chief cells showed increasing number of glands with metaplasia. Furthermore, addition of APC knockout combination with K-rasG12Dand p53f/fshowed invasive intestinal type gastric cancer in the corpus. These results suggest that at least small subfraction of chief cell have stem cell activity and potential to give rise to gastric cancer. Recently, new entity of gastric adenocarcinoma has been proposed which called Gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic gland type (chief cell predominant type). We might have showed those type of gastric carcinogenesis. ConclusionsChief cell in stomach have stem cell activity and potential to develop gastric cancer. Legal entity responsible for the studyThe authors. FundingSingapore Gastric Cancer Consortium. DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Fundic Gland Type Adenocarcinoma in Fundic Gland Polyps.

Fundic Gland Type Adenocarcinoma in Fundic Gland Polyps.

The lb23 mutant of recretohalophyte Limonium bicolor (Bag.) Kuntze with 20-, 24-, 28- and 32-cell salt glands shows elevated salt secretion

Salt glands are specialized epidermal salt secretion structures on the surfaces of recretohalophytes leaves. In wild-type plants of the recretohalophyte Limonium bicolor (Bag.) Kuntze, salt glands comprise 16 cells each and appear as a blue ring under fluorescence microscopy, with four strong autofluorescence points. Here, we describe the lb23 mutant, which showed four additional types of salt glands, with five, six, seven and eight strong autofluorescence points. These salt glands comprised 20, 24, 28 and 32 cells, respectively, with correspondingly increased numbers of secretory, accessory, inner cup and outer cup cells. The cell arrangement and cell types within the salt glands in the mutant were unaltered from those of the wild type. For example, salt glands with five strong autofluorescence points had five secretory cells, five accessory cells, five inner cup cells and five outer cup cells. Compared with wild type, the abnormal salt glands with five, six, seven and eight strong autofluorescence points showed higher salt secretion rates per salt gland. Thus, the increase in salt gland cell numbers resulted in markedly increased salt secretion. This L. bicolor mutant provides an important resource for research on the molecular mechanism of salt gland development.

Efficacy analysis of endoscopic submucosal dissection in gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic gland type: five cases of more than 36 months of follow-up

Background: To explore the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic gland type (GA-FG). Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for lesion characteristics, treatment, and follow-up of 5 cases of GA-FG patients treated with ESD in our endoscopy center from Jan 2010 to Dec 2018. Results: Among the 5 patients, there were 2 males and 3 females (M:F =2:3). The average age was 59.8±14.4 years old. Four lesions were located at the fundus, while 1 case was located 1.5 cm below the dentate line. Five cases were all flat-uplifted (0–IIa). The average operation time was 28.6±9.0 min. All 5 patients underwent complete resection, and all of them achieved complete resection. There was no recurrence of the 5 cases for 36–49 months of follow-up. Conclusions: ESD can be used as a method for the treatment of GA-FG.

Structure and function of the digestive system in molluscs.

The phylum Mollusca is one of the largest and more diversified among metazoan phyla, comprising many thousand species living in ocean, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Mollusc-feeding biology is highly diverse, including omnivorous grazers, herbivores, carnivorous scavengers and predators, and even some parasitic species. Consequently, their digestive system presents many adaptive variations. The digestive tract starting in the mouth consists of the buccal cavity, oesophagus, stomach and intestine ending in the anus. Several types of glands are associated, namely, oral and salivary glands, oesophageal glands, digestive gland and, in some cases, anal glands. The digestive gland is the largest and more important for digestion and nutrient absorption. The digestive system of each of the eight extant molluscan classes is reviewed, highlighting the most recent data available on histological, ultrastructural and functional aspects of tissues and cells involved in nutrient absorption, intracellular and extracellular digestion, with emphasis on glandular tissues.