Routine Histological Sections Research Articles

Tumor microenvironment characteristics association with clinical outcome in patients with resected intestinal-type gastric cancer.

Tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristics including tumor stroma ratio (TSR), tumor budding (TB), and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were examined in resected gastric cancer. These TME features have been shown to indicate metastatic potential in colon cancer, and intestinal-type gastric cancer (IGC) has pathological similarities with that malignancy. TSR, TB, and TILs were quantified in routine histological sections from 493 patients with IGC who underwent radical resection at 2 university hospitals in China from 2010 to 2016. TME variables were dichotomized as follows: TSR (50%), TILs (median), TB per international guidelines (4 buds/0.785mm2), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) per survival ROC. Association of TME features with patient clinicopathological characteristics, time-to-recurrence (TTR), and cancer-specific-survival (CSS) were examined using univariate and multivariate analysis, including a relative contribution analysis by Cox regression. Patients whose tumors showed high TSR or high TB or low TILs were each significantly associated with increased T and N stage, higher histological grade, and poorer TTR and CSS at 5 years. Only TSR and N stage were independently associated with TTR and CSS after adjustment for covariates. PLR was only independently associated with TTR after adjustment for covariates. Among the variables examined, only TSR was significantly associated with both TTR (HR 1.72, 95% CI, 1.14-2.60, P = .01) and CSS (HR 1.62, 95% CI, 1.05-2.51, P = .03) multivariately. Relative contribution to TTR revealed that the top 3 contributors were N stage (45.1%), TSR (22.5%), and PLR (12.9%), while the top 3 contributors to CSS were N stage (59.9%), TSR (14.7%), and PLR (10.9%). Among the examined TME features, TSR was the most robust for prognostication and was significantly associated with both TTR and CSS. Furthermore, the relative contribution of TSR to patient TTR and CSS was second only to nodal status.

A novel technique to estimate intravillous fetal vasculature on routine placenta histologic sections

Placental histopathologic lesions are dichotomized into “present” or “absent” and have limited inter-rater reliability. Continuous metrics are needed to characterize placental health and function. Tissue sections (N = 64) of human placenta were stained with CD34 antibody and hematoxylin. Proportion of the villous space occupied by fetal vascular endothelium (%FVE; pixels positive for CD34/total pixels) was evaluated for effect sizes associated with pregnancy outcomes, smoking status, and subtypes of lesions (n = 30). Time to fixation>60 min significantly increased the quantification. Large effect sizes were found between %FVE and both preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction. These results demonstrate proof-of-concept for this vascular estimation.

Efficacy of Kumkum as a Surrogate for Eosin in Routine Histological Sections: An Observational Study

Introduction: Stains are a crucial component of laboratory procedure. They help in highlighting the different tissues, both normal and abnormal, which plays an important role in diagnostic histopathology. Synthetic dyes are utilised for majority of the stains in histology. Among the natural surrogates studied, Kumkum is less researched. Aim: To compare the staining characteristics of Kumkum, which imparts red colour as an alternative to eosin. Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted at Histopathology section, Pathology department at Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute for a period of six months from January 2022 to June 2022. In 50 tissue blocks, each was made into two sections and one was stained with routine Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), while the other was stained with Haematoxylin and Kumkum solution (H&K). The Cellular Architecture (CA) (based on distinct or indistinct nucleus, cytoplasm) and quality of staining (poor, satisfactory or good) of H&E and H&K solution was compared and a scoring system was given. The scores were analysed with Chi-square test using SPSS software (version 25). Results: Out of 100 slides, 45 (90%) stained with H&E and 48 (96%) with H&K showed distinct CA. A total of 47 slides (94%) stained with H&K and 41 (82%) with H&E showed good quality of staining. Conclusion: Kumkum solution appears to be an efficient counterstain in place of eosin in highlighting the normal structures in histopathological sections. It highlighted the RBCs in the arteries and cytoplasm of the cells in glandular and squamous epithelium better than or equally good as eosin.

Reduce the Changes in Histological Features of Colon Resulting from Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice by Worm Antigens.

Ulcerative colitis is one of the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consequences characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The current study aims to determine the changes in colon tissue caused by induced Ulcerative Colitis and reduce these changes by worms' antigen. The study included 45 adult male albino mice (Mus musculus), with ages ranging between 8-10 weeks; the average weights ranged between 18-32 g. Ulcerative colitis was induced by intracolonic administration of 100 μL of 4% after they had been starved for 18 h. The animals were dissected after one week, and routine histological sections were conducted. The results of the histological study showed that in the colon of white mice treated with 4% acetic acid occurred, many histological changes were represented by the appearance of inflammatory cells in the mucous layer around the goblet cells, and the formation of vacuoles, necrosis at epithelium and intense congestion under the surface epithelium. The marked histological sections of the colon in mice with induced ulcerative colitis treated with helminth extract at a concentration of 0.1 mg/kg for a week, were showed that the histological changes began to decrease in the colon tissue, with the presence of a few inflammatory cells as well as little mucus secretion.

Digital histological markers based on routine H&E slides to predict benefit from maintenance immunotherapy in esophagogastric adenocarcinoma.

e16074 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) is an effective treatment for a subset of patients with inoperable esophagogastric (EG) adenocarcinoma. Robust predictive biomarkers are required to identify these patients and a variety of strategies including immunohistochemical staining of PD-L1 and tumor mutational burden (TMB) assessment have been employed. Here, we explore digital histological (dHis) markers based on routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides alone or in combination with molecular markers (PD-L1 and TMB) as predictive biomarkers of benefit from maintenance immunotherapy in patients with inoperable EG adenocarcinoma. Methods: We developed a deep learning based algorithm to construct novel digital histological (dHis) markers by summarizing the statistics of all different types of nuclei present in the tumor tissue sections, their morphological features and their colocalization across each of the whole slide image. The dHis markers were then input into a decision-tree based approach to test for prognostic and predictive power alone or in combination with molecular markers. We assessed two cohorts of patients randomized to surveillance (n=38) or maintenance durvalumab (n=35) after 18 weeks of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in the PLATFORM trial (NCT02678182) according to the 12-week progression-free rate. We measured the accuracy as the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) to determine the prognostic and predictive power of each marker set. We conducted a stratified 3-fold cross-validation, repeated 5 times and report the overall AUROC results. Results: Molecular markers alone yielded an AUROC of 0.5581±0.0939 on the surveillance arm, 0.6671±0.1479 on the treatment arm, and 0.6376±0.0958 for both the arms. Digital histological markers alone yielded an AUROC of 0.8952±0.0638, 0.8995±0.0719 and 0.8488±0.0700 on surveillance, immunotherapy and both arms, respectively. When using these two sets of markers together for both arms, molecular markers offered a limited improvement (around 0.02). Patients with TMB in the highest tertile were associated with lower likelihood of having progressive disease 12 weeks after randomization. Interestingly, dHis markers from morphology of connective and inflammatory nuclei were highly predictive for treatment benefit. Conclusions: Preliminary results suggest digital histological markers offer significant improvement over PD-L1 and TMB markers alone for predicting benefit from immunotherapy in EG adenocarcinoma with the added advantages of scalable, rapid, low-cost and objective quantification on routine histology sections. We are further validating their effectiveness on a larger cohort. Clinical trial information: NCT02678182.

Tumor infiltrating neutrophils and gland formation predict overall survival and molecular subgroups in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

ABSTRACTBackgroundRNA‐sequencing‐based classifiers can stratify pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) into prognostically significant subgroups but are not practical for use in clinical workflows. Here, we assess whether histomorphological features may be used as surrogate markers for predicting molecular subgroup and overall survival in PDAC.MethodsNinety‐six tissue samples from 50 patients with non‐resectable PDAC were scored for gland formation, stromal maturity, mucin, necrosis, and neutrophil infiltration. Prognostic PDAC gene expression classifiers were run on all tumors using whole transcriptome sequencing data from the POG trial (NCT02155621). Findings were validated using digital TCGA slides (n = 50). Survival analysis used multivariate Cox proportional‐hazards tests and log‐rank tests.ResultsThe combination of low gland formation and low neutrophil infiltration was significantly associated with the poor prognosis PDAC molecular subgroup (basal‐like or squamous) and was an independent predictor of shorter overall survival, in both frozen section (n = 47) and formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (n = 49) tissue samples from POG patients, and in the TCGA samples. This finding held true in the subgroup analysis of primary (n = 17) and metastatic samples (n = 79). The combination of high gland formation and high neutrophils had low sensitivity but high specificity for favorable prognosis subgroups.ConclusionsThe assessment of gland formation and neutrophil infiltration on routine histological sections can aid in prognostication and allow inferences to be made about molecular subtype, which may help guide patient management decisions and contribute to our understanding of heterogeneity in treatment response.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and tumor budding refine prognostication in patients with low- and high-risk stage III colon cancers (NCCTG N0147)[Alliance

4065 Background: Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor budding (linked to epithelial mesenchymal transition) may influence metastatic potential and patient prognosis. We analyzed these features and their relative contribution to survival among low (T1-3 N1) and high (T4 and/or N2) risk groups, defined by the IDEA study, used to inform the duration of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage III colon cancer. Methods: Among 1,532 patients (low risk n=804; high risk n=728) treated in a phase III adjuvant trial of FOLFOX + cetuximab (x 6 months), intraepithelial TIL densities and tumor budding were quantified at microscopy in routine histologic sections. Optimal cutpoints were determined in association with 5-yr disease-free survival (DFS). Relative contribution of variables to DFS was calculated using χ2 from Harrell’s rms R package based on multivariable Cox regression models. Results: In the overall cohort, the tumor budding/TILs combined variable was more robust for predition of DFS than either alone. Budding/TILs was significantly associated with DFS in both low (HRadj, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.02-2.48; p=.0273) and high (HRadj, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.72-4.63; p<.0001) risk patients. We then determined its relative contribution (%) to DFS (Table). Among low risk, budding/TILs ranked second (24.4%) behind KRAS status (45.5%) and ahead of treatment arm (7.2%) and mismatch repair (MMR) status (6.1%). Among high risk, budding/TILs contributed the most to DFS (45.4%) followed by primary tumor sidedness (13.0%), performance status (12.0%), and MMR (10.4%). Conclusions: Tumor budding/TILs provides robust prognostic stratification by risk group to improve anatomic tumor staging. The relative contribution of budding/TILs to DFS was second only to KRAS status in low risk patients, and was the most important predictor of DFS in high risk patients. Evaluation in patients treated with 3 vs 6 mos of adjuvant chemotherapy is warranted. [Table: see text]

Histopathologic Prevalence and Severity of Testicular Oocytes in Smallmouth Bass from Two Archival Collections.

During recent decades, survey studies have documented the widespread presence of oocytes in the testes of male Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu collected from surface waters throughout the United States. There are few published reports of testicular oocytes (TO) in Smallmouth Bass before the 1990s, so it is difficult to know how long this has been occurring. Consequently, this study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence and severity of TO occurrence in whole fish specimens from two archival collections-the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Suitland, Maryland, and Cornell University's Museum of Vertebrates in Ithaca, New York. Gonads were excised from 167 preserved male Smallmouth Bass that were originally collected between 1875 and 2004, and routine histologic sections were prepared and examined. The severity of TO was determined using a semiquantitative scoring system. Overall, 52.1% of male Smallmouth Bass were found to have TO. Affected fish had been collected in 11 of the 18 represented states, and TO were found in specimens harvested during decades as early as the 1880s and 1900s. Unfortunately, the small number of samples acquired at the earliest time periods precluded analyses of prevalence and severity trends over time. The results of this study demonstrated that the phenomenon of TO in male Smallmouth Bass is at least a century old and confirmed the widespread nature of this finding throughout the species' historic range. Further research efforts should focus on determining the baseline prevalence of TO in laboratory-reared male Smallmouth Bass that have not been exposed to endocrine active substances or the effects of experimental estrogen exposure on such fish.

Multimethodological Approach to Gastrointestinal Microsporidiosis in HIV-Infected Patients.

Microsporidiosis is an opportunistic infection that produces chronic diarrhoea and cholangiopathy in patients with AIDS, mainly caused by two species of microsporidia, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozon intestinalis. The aim of this work was to develop an integral system for the diagnosis of microsporidiosis of the intestine and biliary tract in HIV-infected patients, comprising microscopic and molecular techniques. The study population comprised 143 adult patients of both sexes with diagnosis of HIV infection, with chronic diarrhoea, and with or without HIV-associated cholangiopathy. Stool studies for microsporidia identification of spores were performed on each patient. A video esofagogastroduodenoscopy with biopsy collection was also carried out for routine histology and semi-thin sections stained with Azure II. Species identification was carried out by transmission electron microscopy and/or polymerase chain reaction for the species E. bieneusi and E. intestinalis. Out of the 143 patients a total of 12.6% (n = 18) were infected with microsporidia. Microsporidia species identified in most cases was E. bieneusi (16/18 cases), followed by E. intestinalis (4/18), all of these last ones in coinfection with E. bieneusi. Clinical, imaging, microscopic and molecular analyses, when applied in a systematic and integrated approach, allow diagnosis and identification of microsporidia at species level in AIDS patients with chronic diarrhoea, and with or without HIV-associated cholangiopathy.

Influence of laterality on testis anatomy and histology in Ghezel rams.

Whether paired organs are equivalent has to be analyzed by assessing both structural and functional aspects. The present study compared the paired left and right testis from Ghezel sheep originating from Northwestern Iran (Azerbaijan) and Northeastern Turkey. Twenty‐five pairs of testes were collected from mature Ghezel rams from Tabriz slaughterhouse. The two glands were compared for their size, weight and activity rate. Weight, length, width and thickness were measured. Then, paraffinized blocks were prepared by routine histological techniques and sections were stained by the haematoxylin‐eosin method. Five 6 μm sections were prepared from each paraffinized block and 50 seminiferous tubules (STs) were analysed in each section for tubular differential index (TDI) and spermiogenesis index (SPI). TDI and SPI were compared between the paired left and right testes. Weight, length and thickness of left testes were significantly higher than in right testes (P < 0.05). Moreover, TDI and SPI were found to be higher in left testes than the right (P < 0.05).

Examination of the immunohistochemical localization and gene expression by RT-PCR of the oxytocin receptor in diabetic and non-diabetic mouse testis.

Objective(s):The aim of this study was to determine Oxytocin receptor (OTR) gene expression and localization in diabetic and non-diabetic mouse testes by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Materials and Methods:In this study, 18 male BALB/c mice (8–12 weeks old) were used and divided into three groups: diabetic, sham, and control. Streptozotocin (STZ) was applied to the diabetic group and sodium citrate was administered to the sham group in the same way, however, the control group was left untouched. The testicular tissues were removed on the thirtieth day of testing; the right testis tissues were passed through a routine histologic process and sections were stained with H&E and PAS staining techniques. The avidin-biotin-peroxidase method was applied to determine OTR immunoreactivity, while the left testis tissues were used for RT-PCR. Results:It was found that the body weight had decreased in the diabetic group and the diameter of the seminiferous tubules in the said group was shorter than those of the other groups. There were no obvious differences with regard to the histologic appearance between the groups. The immunohistochemical examination showed that the OTR immunoreactivity was strong in the control and sham groups but weak in the diabetic group, and the immunoreactivity was only seen in the Leydig cells. In addition, the OTR gene expression was lower in the diabetic group than in the other groups.Conclusion:We concluded that diabetes reduces the OTR expression in the testis. It is suggested that OTR protection should be researched in diabetes for healthy reproduction and sexuality.

Mineralization of alpha-1-antitrypsin inclusion bodies in Mmalton alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency

BackgroundAlpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency (AATD) of Z, Mmalton, Siiyama type is associated with liver storage of the mutant proteins and liver disease. The Z variant can be diagnosed on isoelectric focusing (IEF) while Mmalton and Siiyama may be missed or misdiagnosed with this technique. Therefore, molecular analysis is mandatory for their characterization. In particular, that holds true for the Mmalton variant as on IEF profile it resembles the wild M2 subtype.MethodsThis is a retrospective analysis involving review of medical records and of liver biopsy specimens from a series of Mmalton, Z and Siiyama Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency patients. The review has been implemented by additional histological stains, electron microscopic observations and 3-D modeling studies of the sites of the mutations.ResultsZ, Mmalton and Siiyama liver specimen contained characteristic intrahepatocytic PAS-D globules. The globules differed in the three variants as only Mmalton cases showed dark basophilic precipitates within the AAT inclusions. The precipitates were visualized in haematoxylin-eosin (H.E.) stained preparations and corresponded to calcium precipitates as demonstrated by von Kossa staining. On immunohistochemistry, ZAAT inclusions were stained by polyclonal as well as monoclonal noncommercial anti-AAT antibody (AZT11), whilst Mmalton and Siiyama inclusion bodies remained negative with the monoclonal anti-Z antibody. 3-D protein analysis allowed to predict more severe misfolding of the Mmalton molecule as compared to Z and Siiyama that could trigger anomalous interaction with endoplasmic reticulum chaperon proteins, namely calcium binding proteins.ConclusionsMmalton AAT inclusion bodies contain calcium precipitates inside them that allow the differential diagnosis with Siiyama and ZAAT inclusions in routine histological sections. The study has confirmed the specificity of the monoclonal AZT11 for the Z mutant. Thus, the combination of these two features is crucial for the distinction between the three variants and for predicting the genotype, whose confirmation would definitely require molecular analysis. Our study provides new data on the pathomorphogenesis of Mmalton inclusion bodies whose mineralization could play a central role in disease pathogenesis of Mmalton that is distinct from the Z and Siiyama variants. Calcium is known to be a major effector of cell death either via the increased intracellular concentration or the alteration of homeostasis.

Bioavailability of corn gluten meal hydrolysates and their effects on the immune system

The bioavailability of food is central to human nutrition, health and wellbeing. Here, we tested the bioavailability of hydrolysed corn gluten meal using a protein efficiency ratio method, and then analysed differences in bodyweight, weight of organs, routine blood tests and histological sections. The results indicate that the average protein intake of the hydrolysed corn gluten meal (HCGM) group was higher than that of the crude corn gluten meal (CCGM) group, and was associated with an increase in average bodyweight. The corrected protein efficiency ratios (PERs) of the HCGM and CCGM groups were 0.374 and 0.217, respectively; the corrected PER of the HCGM group was 1.72 times higher than that of the CCGM group. These results show that hydrolysis increased the bioavailability of corn gluten meal. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in organ weights (salivary gland P &amp;lt; 0.01; thymus gland P &amp;lt; 0.05; spleen P &amp;lt; 0.01) between the HCGM and CCGM groups. Finally, no inf lammatory cell infiltrates nor cell necrosis could be found in any of the histological sections. We speculate that hydrolysed protein preparations can improve immunity.

CD8+ T cell infiltration in breast and colon cancer: A histologic and statistical analysis.

The prevalence of cytotoxic tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has demonstrated prognostic value in multiple tumor types. In particular, CD8 counts (in combination with CD3 and CD45RO) have been shown to be superior to traditional UICC staging in colon cancer patients and higher total CD8 counts have been associated with better survival in breast cancer patients. However, immune infiltrate heterogeneity can lead to potentially significant misrepresentations of marker prevalence in routine histologic sections. We examined step sections of breast and colorectal cancer samples for CD8+ T cell prevalence by standard chromogenic immunohistochemistry to determine marker variability and inform practice of T cell biomarker assessment in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples. Stained sections were digitally imaged and CD8+ lymphocytes within defined regions of interest (ROI) including the tumor and surrounding stroma were enumerated. Statistical analyses of CD8+ cell count variability using a linear model/ANOVA framework between patients as well as between levels within a patient sample were performed. Our results show that CD8+ T-cell distribution is highly homogeneous within a standard tissue sample in both colorectal and breast carcinomas. As such, cytotoxic T cell prevalence by immunohistochemistry on a single level or even from a subsample of biopsy fragments taken from that level can be considered representative of cytotoxic T cell infiltration for the entire tumor section within the block. These findings support the technical validity of biomarker strategies relying on CD8 immunohistochemistry.

Glycoconjugates of the Rat Eyeball Structural Components under Experimental Hypothyroidism according to Lectin Histochemistry Studies

AbstractObjective: Thyroid disorders are currently among the most widespread endocrine pathologies, influencing multiple organs including the eyeballs. Lectins are used for the histochemical investigation of cell and tissue carbohydrates, which are involved in a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions, e.g. manifestations of cellular metabolism disorders, malignant transformation of cells, agglutination of viruses and microorganisms etc.Aim: of present investigation was to use a set of lectins with different carbohydrate specificities to study the rearrangement of carbohydrate determinants of rat eye structural components under the influences of experimental mercazolil-induced hypothyroidism.Methods: Experiments were carried out on 35 adult male Wistar rats weighing 180-240 g. Control group included 10 animals; experimental group of 25 rats during 14 days received 5 mg/kg of mercazolil with daily food allowance. Samples of thyroid glands and eyeballs were fixed in Bouin’s fluid and embedded in paraffin. The lectin panel included PNA, HPA, SNA, LABA, WGA and CNFA, conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Lectin receptor sites were visualized with 3,3’-diaminobenzidine in the presence of H2O2. For specificity control of histochemical reactions the exclusion of lectin-peroxidase conjugates from staining protocol was used. For routine histological examination sections were stained haematoxylin and eosin.Results: Morphological investigations revealed negative influence of experimental hypothyroidism on corneal epithelium and retina, as well as on the eyeball associated Garder’s gland. By means of lectin histochemistry methods it was identified increased reactivity of rod and cone layer with WGA, CNFA and LABA, encompassingthe accumulation of DGlcNАc, GalNAc(β1-4)GlcNAc and αLFuc carbohydrate determinants. These changes were accompanied with reduced HPA and SNA reactivity (αDGalNАc and NeuNAc(α2-6) DGal residues). These modifications in rods and cones lectin labeling were supplemented with the increased CNFA binding in the areas of synaptic contacts in the outer and inner plexiform layers, as well as with enhanced exposure of LABA receptor sites (αLFuc) in perikarya of amacrine and ganglion neurons of retina. In the cornea under experimental hypothyroidism it was detected reduction of HPA and CNFA labeling (αDGalNАc and GalNAc (β1-4) GlcNAc determinants) in the anterior epithelium, which was accompanied with the increased reactivity of these same lectins with stromal keratocytes and collagen fibers.Conclusion: Reported drift in corneal lectin binding apparently indicates negative influence of hypothyroidism on epithelial adhesion to Bowman’s membrane and corneal transparency conditions, the latters depending on crystallins and keratan sulphates produced by keratocytes. Detected rearrangements in carbohydrate determinants of retinal compartments presumably reflect alterations in the functional activity of neurons and subsequent disturbancies in nerve impulses transduction. Lectins WGA, CNFA, LABA and HPA can be recommended for selective histochemical labeling of structural components of the rat eyeball.

Dystrophic Mineralization of Costal Cartilage in Hartley Guinea Pigs.

Hartley guinea pigs are widely used animal models of disease, particularly in studies of osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate lesions in the costal cartilage from 16 male, 5- to 6-month-old Hartley guinea pigs. Routine histological sections from the costal cartilage and costochondral junction (longitudinal and cross sections) and sternum (for evaluation of bone marrow) were examined. All 16 (100%) animals had histological lesions involving the costal cartilage that included matrix degeneration and mineralization, reduced cellularity, and evidence of chondrocyte necrosis. Of the 16, 4 (25%) of the lesions contained blood vessels and 3 (19%) contained central osseous metaplasia. The cartilage lesions were accompanied by degeneration (sometimes with regeneration and/or fibrosis) in adjacent skeletal muscle in 15 of the 16 (94%) animals. The lesions in the costal cartilage were interpreted as dystrophic mineralization of unknown cause and appear to be incidental findings, although they bear some resemblance to lesions occurring in Tietze's disease in humans. The significance of the lesions in skeletal muscle is unclear. Histological lesions of cartilage matrix degeneration and mineralization in these sites have not, to our knowledge, been reported previously.

Goblet cells and intestinal Alkaline phosphatase expression (IAP) during the development of the rat small intestine

This study aimed to evaluate the temporal and spacial distribution of the mucins produced by goblet cells and intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) expression during the development of the small intestine of the rat. Intestines were removed from rats on the 15th, 17th and 18th days of intratuterine life (i.u.) and on the 3rd, 10th, 17th and 25th days after birth (a.b.). Intestines were processed for routine histological procedures and sections were submitted to histochemistry using PAS to stain neutral glycoproteins and Alcian blue for acidic glycoproteins, as well as immunohistochemistry to detect IAP. In rats, glycoprotein production was seen to begin in the intestinal epithelium cell at around the 17th day of i.u. life; however, this production was not accompanied by morphological indications of the presence of goblet cells. By the 18th i.u. day, the villus epithelium was undergoing differentiation and the first goblet cells could be identified from this time. At around the 10th day a.b., both compartments of the small intestine were detected; i.e. the villi and the crypts. At this timepoint, goblet cells were present in the villi, and also in the upper regions of the crypts. On the 3rd, 10th 17th and 25th days a.b., the presence of the goblet cells increased and presented regional differences in the sections evaluated. IAP was not detected during i.u. life, but was weakly detected in the cells of the villi from the 3rd day a.b., along the entire extension of the villi. On the 10th day, IAP was detected at the tip of the villi, while on the 25th day, it was detected along the extension of the villi, but with a weaker intensity. In conclusion, a temporal and spacial distribution of goblet cells and IAP activity occurs during the development of the small intestine, suggesting a possible regulatory control in accordance with the suckling and weaning phases of food intake in the rat’s life.

Diffuse Gastric Carcinoma Undergoes Characteristic Phenotypic Changes in the Intravascular Environment: Evidence for a Reversal of the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Lymphovascular Metastasis.

This article reports differences between the properties of extravascular carcinoma, which generally forms the vast bulk of a tumor, and those of intravascular carcinoma, at both primary and metastatic lymph node sites. In a morphological and immunohistochemical study of 19 diffuse gastric adenocarcinomas, we report that in comparison to extravascular carcinoma, the intravascular tumor compartment showed frequent and profound phenotypic change, including increased tumor cell cohesion, differentiation and cadherin/catenin expression. For example, greatest cohesion was seen at the intravascular site in 78% ( P = .00006) of primary cancers and in 84% ( P = .000015) of their lymph node metastases. Pan cadherin showed a statistically significant increase at the intravascular metastatic site ( P = .031). We suggest that this change from an extravascular isolated cell phenotype to an intravascular cohesive phenotype represents reversal of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Since this proposed reversal of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in intravascular carcinoma is frequently conspicuous in routine histological sections of many types of cancer, as our previous publications have indicated, this process is likely to have widespread significance for the biology of metastasis.

Atrophy of the tongue following complete versus partial hypoglossal nerve transection in a canine model.

The hypoglossal nerve (XII) has been used as a donor nerve in facial and laryngeal reinnervation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the neuromuscular changes that occur within the tongue following partial or complete transection of XII using a canine model. Histopathological comparison of tongue denervation following two types of XII resection in a canine model. Ten adult canines underwent complete unilateral resection of XII or resection of only the medial terminal branch of the hypoglossal nerve (mXII). After 6 months of recovery, tongue specimens were analyzed histopathologically using whole cross-sections. Routine histologic sections were assessed by two neuropathologists blinded to the type of denervation. The cross-sectional area was calculated of both sides of the tongue, and the amount of myosin was quantified morphometrically using immunohistochemistry for myosin (antimyosin heavy chain, fast isotype). Statistical comparison between partial and complete denervation was performed using the Student t test. Six months following XII transection, quantitative measures of the cross-sectional area of the tongue and content of myosin demonstrated severe muscle atrophy on the operated side of the tongue for both groups, compared to the nonoperated side. For partial transection involving only mXII, the degree of atrophy was less severe (P < .05). This study provides new histological information demonstrating that partial resection of the hypoglossal nerve, sacrificing only the proximal medial branch of the hypoglossal nerve (mXII), results in less severe atrophy of the tongue than complete transection of the entire hypoglossal nerve. NA Laryngoscope, 126:2689-2693, 2016.

Mitotic index and multipolar mitosis in routine histologic sections as prognostic markers of pancreatic cancers: A clinicopathological study.

Pancreatic cancer is characterized by genomic complexity and chromosomal instability, and atypical mitotic figures are morphological features of this phenotype. In the present study, we determined the frequency and the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of mitotic figures in pancreatic cancers. We surveyed the mitotic figures of the normal ductal epithelium, acinar cells, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias, and pancreatic cancers on hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained tissue specimens (n = 121). Pancreatic cancer cells showed significantly higher mitotic indices as compared with the ductal cells, acinar cells, and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias. Both normal and atypical mitosis were significantly elevated only in pancreatic cancers. In pancreatic cancers, approximately 30% of total mitosis was atypical including multipolar, lag-type, ring and asymmetrical mitosis, and anaphase bridges. The Kaplan-Meier curves in pancreatic cancers showed significant correlations between total mitosis and disease free survival. Furthermore, the cases with multipolar mitosis showed poorer prognosis than those without. Lymph node metastasis and multipolar mitosis were independent prognostic factors for overall survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. In addition, lymph node metastasis and total mitosis were independent factors for disease free survival. These findings suggest that routinely obtained pathological specimens, even small biopsy or cytological specimens, can provide valuable information concerning the prognosis of pancreatic cancers.