An unusual anatomic location of pancreatic masses.
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By use of accepted criteria, all masses anterior to the splenic vein are thought to arise from the pancreas, whereas all masses posterior to the vein are attributed to other retroperitoneal organs. Three patients with pancreatic masses are presented. Since the mass was posterior to the splenic vein in these cases, a pancreatic origin did not originally suggest itself. (+info)
Presence and possible significance of immunohistochemically demonstrable prolactin in breast apocrine metaplasia.
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Paraffin wax embedded formalin-fixed benign breast disease tissue taken from 17 patients (15 with microcystic disease and 2 with fibroadenoma) was studied for the presence of tissue bound prolactin using a rabbit antiserum against human prolactin applied in conjunction with a highly sensitive modified version of the dinitrophenyl (DNP)-hapten sandwich staining (DHSS) procedure. Sections taken from 14 of the 15 cases showing apocrine cystic changes exhibited strong prolactin staining restricted to the cytoplasm of metaplastic apocrine cells lining the cysts. Normal lobules and ducts and blunt duct proliferations were all negative, as were also the two cases of fibroadenoma. In contrast 6 out of 8 cases of breast cancer examined showed heterogenously distributed cytoplasmic staining in the cancer cells. Maximal prolactin staining in the apocrine cells was observed at antiserum dilutions as high as 1:60,000. This compared favourably with a 1:120,000 dilution that gave maximal levels of staining in the prolactotrophs present in serial sections taken from formalin fixed paraffin wax embedded post mortem human anterior pituitaries. In both types of tissues the specific staining was abolished by pre-absorption of the antiserum with human prolactin (10 micrograms ml-1). No staining was observed when the anti-prolactin serum was either omitted or substituted with DNP-labelled normal rabbit serum. Apocrine metaplasia in cystic disease of the breast has recently been found to be associated with an increased breast cancer risk. The strong and selective presence of immunohistochemically demonstrable prolactin in the metaplastic cells may be of significance in view of the hormone's known growth stimulating effect on the breast epithelium. (+info)
Altered monocyte function in patients with benign breast disease.
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Monocyte migration, lysozyme production and phagocytosis was studied in 34 patients with fibroadenosis, 28 patients with fibroadenoma and 48 healthy female controls. In patients with fibroadenosis and fibroadenoma, monocyte migration and phagocytic activity were significantly reduced when compared to controls (P less than 0.001). Conversely, lysozyme production by monocytes from patients with benign breast disease was significantly higher than in controls (P less than 0.001). In 20 patients with benign breast disease, there was no significant difference in monocyte function before and 3 months after operation. The observed impairment of monocyte function in fibroadenosis and fibroadenoma would not appear to be the result of abnormal blood biochemistry or due to a direct serum inhibitor, but is probably related to an intrinsic cellular defect. Further studies are required to evaluate the significance of impaired monocyte function in the pathophysiology of benign breast disease. (+info)
Sarcoidosis of the breast.
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Sarcoid granulomata were found incidentally in the mammary lobules adjacent to an excised fibroadenoma in a case of sarcoidosis of the breast. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis was established by the radiological finding of bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, raised concentrations of serum angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme, and, finally, by a positive Kveim test. (+info)
Prostaglandin F2 alpha in benign and malignant breast tumours.
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Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) was determined by radioimmunoassay in 57 breast carcinomata, 16 fibroadenomata, and 33 sclero-cystic-disease (SCD) specimens. In 41 cases of carcinoma and 10 cases of fibroadenoma, histologically non-malignant tissue was also obtained from the same breast. PGF2 alpha levels were significantly elevated in breast cancer when compared with the normal tissues and benign diseases (P less than 0.005 for each group). High PGF2 alpha levels were positively correlated with differentiation, positive oestrogen and progestagen receptor status, and low mitotic index. Tumours with good prognosis (less than 20 mm, negative lymph nodes, some degree of differentiation) showed significantly higher PGF2 alpha levels than tumours with a bad prognosis (greater than 20 mm, positive nodes and undifferentiated). A tendency for elevated PGF2 alpha levels was observed with negative lymphatic permeation, postmenopausal status, low grade of nuclear and cellular polymorphism and high degree of elastosis and fibrosis. No correlation was observed between PGF2 alpha levels and host-cell reaction. Plasma levels of 15-keto-13, 14-dihydro-PGF2 alpha were not elevated in cancer patients when compared with the SCD-group. The present study demonstrates that PGF2 alpha levels are high in tumours with good prognosis. However, since other authors have suggested that a high PGE2 production is a bad prognostic index, it is possible that conversion of PGE2 to PGF2 alpha by 9-keto-reductase explains this relationship. Nevertheless, the presented results question the unrestricted use of prostaglandin-synthesis-inhibitors in the treatment of breast cancer. (+info)
Localisation of Ca and HMFG2 antigens in breast tissue by immunoperoxidase, immunofluorescence, and immunoelectron microscopy.
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The reactivities of Ca1 and HMFG2 monoclonal antibodies were compared on paraffin wax embedded breast tissues using indirect immunoperoxidase. The expression of Ca antigen, like HMFG2, is not exclusive to malignancy: Ca was present in 41/53 (77%) and HMFG2 in 42/53 (79.2%) non-malignant conditions and both were present in 33/35 (94%) carcinomas. Similar results were obtained when cryostat sections were used. Both antigens showed striking similarities in their topographical distributions, although quantitative differences were seen. Their cellular and sub-cellular localisations were investigated by double labelling immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy, which showed that the expression of Ca and HMFG2 antigens was closely associated on cell membranes but that the epitopes were distinct. (+info)
Multiple forms of plasminogen activator in human breast tumors.
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Total plasminogen activator (PA) activity, tissue-type PA (t-PA) activity, urokinase-like PA activity, and immunoreactive t-PA were measured in benign breast tumors (fibroadenomas), primary breast carcinomas, axillary node metastases, and chest wall recurrences. Total PA activity did not differ significantly in the different types of tumors. However, benign tumors contained predominantly t-PA activity. Urokinase-like PA activity was significantly higher in the malignant tumors compared with the benign group. Both t-PA activity and immunoreactive t-PA were significantly lower in chest wall recurrences compared with primary carcinomas. The ratio of t-PA to urokinase activity was significantly decreased between stages 1 and 3 in the primary tumors. Also, immunoreactive t-PA levels were significantly lower in stages 2 and 3 compared with stage 1. No correlation was found between PA (either total or its different forms) and tumor grade, histological type, or the presence or absence of axillary node metastases. (+info)
Relationship of monoclonal antibody binding to estrogen and progesterone receptor content in breast cancer.
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Three monoclonal antibodies--H59, H71, and H72--which react with human breast cancers have been developed using the estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cell line, ZR-75-1, as the immunogen. H59 bound only to estrogen receptor-positive, estrogen-regulated breast cancer cells in culture, whereas H71 and H72 bound breast cancer cells irrespective of the estrogen receptor content. All three antibodies have minimal cross-reactivity with non-breast tissue culture cell lines. The three antigens appear to be glycoproteins located on the cell surface. H59 and H72 antigens bound preferentially to the apical surface of duct cells and may be secreted; H71 antigen demonstrated no evidence of an apical orientation or secretion. The binding of the antibodies to fixed cryosections from 152 breast cancer and 111 benign breast disease specimens has been evaluated using a radioimmunoassay. Eighty-five % of breast cancer and almost 100% of benign disease specimens were bound by at least one antibody. H59 bound 39%, H71 bound 51%, and H72 bound 65% of cancer specimens. Estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor analyses were obtained on 141 specimens. H59 bound almost exclusively to tumor specimens which contained estrogen and/or progesterone receptor, but not to all receptor-positive tumors. Therefore, the H59 antigen appeared to be present on a subset of estrogen receptor-positive tumors. Considering that it bound only to estrogen-regulated cells in culture, the antigen may be estrogen regulated, and its presence may predict a response to hormone therapy. H71 and H72 recognized cell surface differentiation antigens but bound tumor specimens regardless of the receptor content. These antibodies may be useful as independent variables for predicting response to therapy and prognosis of patients with breast cancer. (+info)