Telocytes: Active Players in the Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Intestinal Stem-Cell Niche

In order to improve the sustainability of trout farming, it is essential to develop alternatives to fish-based meals that prevent intestinal disorders and support growth performances. Therefore, an accurate knowledge of intestinal morphology and physiology is desirable. We previously described the epithelial component of the intestinal stem-cell (ISC) niche in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), which is one of the most successfully farmed species and a representative model of the salmonids family. This work aims to expand that knowledge by investigating the niche stromal components that contribute to intestinal homeostasis. We analyzed samples belonging to five individuals collected from a local commercial farm. Histological and ultrastructural studies revealed peculiar mesenchymal cells adjacent to the epithelium that generated an intricate mesh spanning from the folds’ base to their apex. Their voluminous nuclei, limited cytoplasm and long cytoplasmic projections characterized them as telocytes (TCs). TEM analysis showed the secretion of extracellular vesicles, suggesting their functional implication in cell-to-cell communication. Furthermore, we evaluated the localization of well-defined mouse TC markers (pdgfrα and foxl1) and their relationship with the epithelial component of the niche. TCs establish a direct connection with ISCs and provide short-range signaling, which also indicates their key role as the mesenchymal component of the stem-cell niche in this species. Interestingly, the TC distribution and gene-expression pattern in rainbow trout closely overlapped with those observed in mice, indicating that they have the same functions in both species. These results substantially improve our understanding of the mechanisms regulating intestinal homeostasis and will enable a more detailed evaluation of innovative feed effects.

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the uterus in an adult patient with osteopetrosis: a case report

Background Uterine sarcoma accounts for 3–7% of uterine malignant neoplasms. It is more aggressive than epithelial neoplasms, and patients have a poor prognosis. Rhabdomyosarcoma is classified as a heterologous uterine sarcoma. It is the most common soft tissue malignancy in children while rare in adults. In young patients, the majority of genital tract rhabdomyosarcomas occur in vagina; however, the most common site of gynecologic rhabdomyosarcoma is cervix followed by uterine corpus, in adults. Uterine corpus rhabdomyosarcoma is rare in adults. Diagnosis of pure rhabdomyosarcoma in uterus involves widespread and perfect sampling as well as precise histopathological evaluation to uncover any epithelial component. Case presentation Here we report a case of pure rhabdomyosarcoma of uterine corpus in a 60-year-old Iranian postmenopausal female who had osteopetrosis, presenting with 8-month heavy vaginal bleeding and a protruding cervical mass. She is alive on 18-month follow-up after treatment. Conclusions Rhabdomyosarcoma of uterine corpus is rare in adults. Diagnosis of pure rhabdomyosarcoma in uterus involves widespread and perfect sampling as well as precise histopathological evaluation to uncover any epithelial component. Treatment options in adult gynecological rhabdomyosarcoma are based on studies in younger patients, and more studies may help us choose the best approach for improving outcome.

Phyllodes tumor and its malignization into invasive ductal carcinoma − a case report

Introduction: Phyllodes tumors of the breast are rare and very distinct types of mammary neoplasms. They are characterized by their biphasicity, i.e. the presence of stromal and epithelial components at the same time. Malignancy is determined by the degree of stromal differentiation. The coexistence of the malignant epithelial component is a very rare phenomenon. Dozens of cases of simultaneous phyllodes tumor and epithelial malignancy have been reported so far. Nevertheless, the biological nature of this process is still an unexplained and a controversial topic. Case report: In this paper, we present a case of a patient with a suddenly enlarging lesion in the breast. According to the first surgical resection, a diagnosis of high-grade malignant phyllodes tumor was made with fibrosarcoma differentiation, stromal overgrowth and suppression of the epithelial component. Examination of scar resistence in early postoperative period revealed a triple-negative invasive low-differentiated breast carcinoma with very high proliferative activity, thus malignization of the epithelial component of the tumor occurred. Shortly, a diagnosis of second recurrence was made, treatment included axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) with a negative histological findings. The patient underwent complex adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy and remained disease free 3 years after the surgery. Conclusion: Coexistence of phyllodes tumor and the breast carcinoma is very rare. The article describes the first published case, which documents the subsequent development of invasive low-differentiated ductal carcinoma immediately after resection of high-grade phyllodes tumor. Treatment and prognosis are generally determined by the characteristics of the carcinomatous component.

Temporal primary cutaneous carcinosarcoma in the ear: A case report

Carcinosarcoma is a rare biphasic tumor made of two malignant components—the epithelial component and the stromal component—that can develop anywhere on the body, but mainly in sun-exposed areas. We report the case of a 78-year-old male who presented himself with a right temporal tumor in the ear 10 cm in diameter. A biopsy suggested a sarcoma. The patient underwent an extensive surgical resection of the temporal mass and the ipsilateral ear. A microscopic examination of the tumor revealed two intermixed malignant contingents. The epithelial component was made of atypical basaloid cells arranged in nests with peripheral palisading and expressing cytokeratin. The stromal component was made of atypical spindle cells expressing smooth muscle actin (SMA). A diagnosis of primary cutaneous carcinosarcoma with clear margins was reached. The patient is alive and without recurrence after twelve months of a follow-up period.

A case of ovarian carcinosarcoma composed of endometrioid carcinoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma

Ovarian carcinosarcoma (OCS) is a rare malignancy accounting for only 1‒4% of all ovarian cancers. A 44-year-old premenopausal woman presented at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the University Hospital of Saga, with the chief complaint of sudden abdominal pain. Tumor markers present in her serum were cancer antigen (CA) 19-9 (103U/mL), and CA 125 (114U/mL). Transvaginal ultrasound examination showed a complex mass (74×71×67mm) with solid and cystic components in the left abdominal area. Abdominopelvic computed tomography images showed a polycystic mass with a long diameter of 94 mm in the left adnexal area. The patient underwent a laparotomy immediately after the appropriate evaluation of examinations, leading to total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and partial omentectomy. Due to the emergency surgery, intraoperative histological diagnosis for ovarian tumor was not performed. The preoperative evaluation of radiological imaging revealed no evidence of lymph node swelling, therefore lymph node resection was omitted. The left ovarian tumor already showed a partial rupture. Pathological examination following surgery revealed tubular and solid growth of the epithelial component and fascicular growth of spindle-shaped mesenchymal cells. Immunohistochemistry identified the epithelial component as endometrioid carcinoma (EC) and the mesenchymal component as endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS). Endometriotic tissue was attached to the malignant tumor. The patient was successfully treated with adjuvant chemotherapy (paclitaxel plus carboplatin) after surgery. The patient is still alive without recurrence at 9 months after surgery. Considering the rarity of OCS with EC and ESS, we present an overview of the literature and discuss several histological and clinical issues. The etiology and pathogenesis of such tumors require further investigation (words; 228).

Evaluation of PTEN and Ki67 Expression in Typical and Atypical Endometriosis and Endometriosis Associated Ovarian Cancer

Background: Several studies reported that endometriosis is associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Atypical endometriosis is common in patients with endometriosis-associated ovarian, which might be considered as a precancerous lesion. Objectives: This study aimed to assess ki67 and PTEN expression in endometriosis associated ovarian cancer (EAOC), atypical endometriosis, and typical endometriosis. Methods: In this study, all H & E slides of 260 ovarian endometriosis cases were reviewed. And 25 cases were diagnosed with atypical endometriosis. Forty-one typical endometrioses and 24 ovarian cancers with endometriosis were included. We assessed PTEN and Ki67 immunoexpression in epithelial and stromal cells. Results: The prevalence of atypical endometriosis was about 9%. PTEN loss was found in 12 (out of 24 or 50%) of EAOC, 2 (out of 25; 8%) of atypical endometriosis, and none of the typical endometriosis. In all 12 PTEN loss cases, the PTEN loss pattern in endometriosis adjacent to ovarian cancer was similar to that of ovarian cancer. A total of 7.3% of typical endometriosis and 8% atypical endometriosis and 33.3% of EAOC had Ki67 staining in more than 50% of the epithelial component. Both typical and atypical endometriosis showed similar PTEN loss and Ki 67 staining (in more than 50% of the epithelial component) (P value > 0.05), and both of them were different from EAOC (P value < 0.05). Conclusions: The PTEN loss pattern in endometriosis adjacent to ovarian cancer was similar to that of ovarian cancer. The result indicated that PTEN loss could be an early event in the tumor development pathway from endometriosis to ovarian cancer.

Histomorphological effects of sodium arsenite on uterus of rats

Background: Arsenic is highly toxic agent and a risk factor for disease and disability. Arsenic is present in drinking water of many developing and developed countries including Pakistan and due to rapid industrialization its quantity in soil and water is increasing day by day.Methods: In an 18 month study in which we took two principal groups, labelled as control group A and experimental group B. The animals of experimental group B were administered 4 µg of sodium arsenite dissolved in 10 ml of distilled water by oral gavage daily for 14 days. The uterus was removed and processed for paraffin embedding and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H and E). The histological parameters; uterine luminal diameter, height of uterine luminal epithelium, area occupied by epithelial component of uterine glands and the thickness of myometrium were measured and evaluated by civil AutoCAD 2013 software. The data was analyzed statistically with the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS).Results: Histological results showed the degenerative effects. The luminal diameter of uterine horns was reduced in experimental animals. The height of uterine epithelium was reduced. Area occupied by epithelial component of uterine glands was reduced along the reduction in the thickness of myometrium.Conclusions: The histological abnormalities observed in uterus showed that the degenerative effects may be due to oxidative stress produced by the exposure to sodium arsenite. As sodium arsenite produces the oxidative stress by the formation of free radicals and by the denaturation of proteins.

Expression of cancer stem cell markers in breast phyllodes tumor

BACKGROUND: Phyllodes tumor (PT) is a rare tumor showing various malignant potential. The histological grade of PT is related to clinical outcome, but its relationship between gaining of malignant potential and underlying mechanism including cancer stem cell factor was not understood yet. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study was to determine the expression pattern of cancer stem cell marker in PT and to understand its clinical and pathological implications. METHODS: CD44, CD166, ALDH1, and Ki-67 immunohistochemistry were performed on a tissue microarray from 185 cases of PT specimens (138 benign, 32 borderline, 15 malignant). The immunohistochemistry result and clinicopathological parameter of each cases were compared to analyze the implications of cancer stem cell markers on PT. RESULTS: Borderline/malignant PT showed higher CD44 expression of the stromal component than benign PT (p< 0.001). In lower histologic grade PT, CD166 showed increased expression in the epithelial component (p= 0.019), but decreased in the stromal component (p< 0.001). Stromal overgrowth was rarely observed as the number of positive cancer stem cell markers increased in the epithelial component (p< 0.001). In the stromal component, the number of positive cancer stem cell markers was related to higher histologic grade (p< 0.001), and increased stromal cellularity (p< 0.001), stromal atypia (p= 0.003), and stromal mitosis (p= 0.002). In benign PT, CD44 negativity (p= 0.013) and a decreased number of positive cancer stem cell markers (p= 0.012) in the epithelial component were related to poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The cancer stem cell markers, CD44 and CD166, are expressed in both the epithelial and stromal components of phyllodes tumor. Besides, ALDH1 is only expressed in stromal component. In the stromal component, expression of cancer stem cell markers increases with higher PT histologic grade. In the epithelial component, the absence of cancer stem cell marker expression is related to poor clinical prognosis.

Carcinosarcomas of Ovary/Fallopian Tube: A Rare Entity

Introduction/Objective Adnexal carcinosarcomas (MMMTs) are rare tumors (1–4% ovarian carcinomas) with worse prognosis than high grade serous carcinomas (HGS) at similar stage. They typically present at age 64–66, often with peritoneal involvement. They are biphasic tumors with stem cells undergoing divergent epithelial and sarcomatous differentiation. The epithelial component is usually HGS and drives progression of the tumor. The mesenchymal component can be homologous with high-grade spindled cells or heterologous with malignant cartilage, bone, muscle or fat. Metastases are mostly epithelial; metastatic sarcomatous components are unusual. We reviewed our single- institutional experience of adnexal MMMTs. Methods We reviewed our pathology database (2001–2019) to find all cases of adnexal MMMTs. We reviewed their histological features, histology of metastases and clinical outcomes. Results Our series consisted of 12 cases. Patients aged 41–82 years. The primary tumor sites were ovary (6 cases, 50%), fallopian tube (4, 33%), 1 each (8%) in paratubal region and infundibular ligament. Fallopian tube was involved in 8/12 cases (4 cases as primary MMMT, 4 cases with STIC or HGS). Epithelial component was serous (75%), endometrioid (17%) and mucinous (8%). Sarcomatous component was homologous in 5 cases (41%), heterologous in 7 cases: cartilage (33%), cartilage/muscle (8%), muscle (8%), cartilage/muscle/fat (8%). 3 cases were FIGO stage I, 9 had peritoneal metastases (8 stage III, 1 stage IV). Six cases had metastatic HGS; 3 had metastatic HGS with sarcomatous component, 2 with heterologous elements. Aberrant p53 pattern was seen in 7/12 and TP53 mutation was noted in 6/12. Ten patients received cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy. 7 patients are alive with progression free survival ranging 6–59 months, 2 survived for 25 and 29 months, 3 are lost to follow-up. Conclusion Metastatic sarcomatous heterologous elements are rare in uterine carcinosarcomas and may suggest adnexal origin. They may correlate with worse outcome; in our series, 1/2 died after 29 months, the other was lost to follow-up. Fallopian tube involvement (75% of our cases) is of significance as identical TP53 mutation has been identified in a case report of ovarian carcinosarcoma with fallopian tube STIC. Also, our 2 cases of infundibular ligament and paratubal region may indicate seeding from fallopian tube. Further studies are needed to confirm the correlation.