Evidence for a selective loss of somatostatin receptor subtype expression in male germ cell tumors of seminoma type.
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Somatostatin (SRIF) is a potent antiproliferative signal for both normal and tumoral mammalian cells and an alteration in the SRIF receptor expression pattern has been associated with carcinogenesis. In the present study, the relevance of SRIF signaling to human male germ cell tumors was assessed at the receptor level. The expression of five SRIF receptor (sst1-sst5) mRNAs was estimated by RT-PCR and compared between normal and tumoral testes. All 12 normal testicular tissues studied contained sst3 and sst5 receptor transcripts whereas sst4 was present in almost all (11 of 12). sst1 transcripts were consistently absent while the majority (11/12) of normal samples studied did not contain sst2 mRNA. Parallel assessment of SRIF receptor mRNAs in 10 seminoma testicular germ cell tumors showed expression of a single receptor type, sst5, in all samples analyzed. All seminoma samples were depleted in transcripts corresponding to sst1 and sst2 receptors while either sst3 or sst4 mRNAs were absent in almost all (9 of 10) tumoral samples studied. The comparison of SRIF receptor expression between normal tissue and seminoma tumors thus points to a selective loss of sst3 and sst4 mRNA expression in seminomas. Altogether these data indicate that: (i) normal human testes are putative SRIF targets; (ii) loss of sst3 and sst4 SRIF receptor expression might be associated with seminoma carcinogenesis. (+info)
Postirradiation aortic sarcoma demonstrated by magnetic resonance angiography.
(74/2042)
This is the first ever reported case of a radiation-induced aortic sarcoma. This patient had symptoms and signs initially interpreted as a pulmonary embolus. The extent of the disease was demonstrated with magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography, in particular, allowing rapid surgical intervention. (+info)
Cytokeratin expression in seminoma of the human testis.
(75/2042)
We studied cytokeratin (CK) expression immunohistochemically in 64 seminomas using a panel of commercially available antikeratin antibodies and tested for association of CK expression with patient age, tumor size, stage, and outcome. Seventeen embryonal carcinomas were compared with seminoma. CK7, CAM 5.2, AEI/AEIII, and wide-spectrum screening keratin (WSK) were positive in 41%, 30%, 36%, and 36% of the seminomas, respectively. CK20 and high-molecular-weight keratin (HMWK) were negative in all cases. CD30, placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) were positive in 6%, 100%, and 2% of cases, respectively. There were no differences in patient age, stage, tumor size, or outcome between CK-positive and CK-negative seminomas. CK7, CAM 5.2, AEI/AEIII, and WSK were positive in 100%, 88%, 94%, and 88% of embryonal carcinomas, respectively. CK20 and HMWK were negative in all cases. CD30, EMA, and PLAP were positive in 100%, 12%, and 76%, respectively. CKs are present in seminoma, and their presence is not associated with a difference in patient age, stage, or outcome. In cases such as small needle biopsy specimens, CK and CD30 stains may be useful in separating seminoma from embryonal carcinoma. (+info)
Cardiovascular morbidity in long-term survivors of metastatic testicular cancer.
(76/2042)
PURPOSE: To determine whether long-term survivors of metastatic testicular cancer have an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity more than 10 years after chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-seven patients treated with cisplatin-containing chemotherapy before 1987 who were in remission for at least 10 years and whose ages were +info)
Brachyury is expressed by human teratocarcinoma cells in the absence of mesodermal differentiation.
(77/2042)
Reverse transcription-PCR and Northern and Western blot analyses indicate that mRNA and protein encoded by the Brachyury gene are expressed by the pluripotent human embryonal carcinoma cell line NTERA2 and are only modestly down-regulated during retinoic acid-induced differentiation. This differentiation occurs along a neural lineage, with no obvious evidence of the formation of mesodermal derivatives. Several other human embryonal carcinoma cell lines that do not differentiate, a yolk sac carcinoma cell line and two choriocarcinoma cell lines, also express readily detectable levels of Brachyury mRNA and protein. Thus, in human teratocarcinomas, Brachyury expression is not necessarily an indicator of commitment to mesodermal differentiation. (+info)
Apoptosis-inducing vanadocene compounds against human testicular cancer.
(78/2042)
We systematically assessed the cytotoxic effects of five metallocene dichlorides containing vanadium (vanadocene dichloride), titanium (titanocene dichloride), zirconium (zircodocene dichloride), molybdenum (molybdocene dichloride), and hafnium (hafnocene dichloride) as the central metal atom and 19 other vanadocene complexes. These compounds were tested against the human testicular cancer cell lines Tera-2 and Ntera-2 using both 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays and apoptosis assays. Notably, only the vanadium(IV)-containing metallocenes exhibited significant cytotoxicity against Tera-2 and Ntera-2 cells and induced apoptosis within 24 h. Vanadocenes with dithiocyanate [VCp2(SCN)2 x 0.5 H2O] and diselenocyanate [VCp2(NCSe)2] as ancillary ligands were identified as the most potent cytotoxic compounds. Vanadocenes, especially the lead compound VCp2(NCSe)2, may be useful in the treatment of testicular cancer. (+info)
Prognosis of primary testicular seminoma: a report on 57 new cases.
(79/2042)
Most urologists perform adjuvant radiation therapy for stage 1 (TxN0M0) testicular seminoma after orchiectomy, although the majority of patients with clinical stage 1 seminoma do not have occult metastases and therefore do not require elective nodal irradiation. However, there are currently no clinical or histological parameters that can be used to distinguish patients who need radiation therapy from those who do not. We reported previously that estimates of volume-weighted mean nuclear volume (MNV) were a better predictor of the prognosis of prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma than subjective histological grading. Here, we examined the usefulness of estimation of MNV for predicting the prognosis of primary testicular seminoma. A retrospective study of 57 patients with testicular seminoma diagnosed between April 1981 and March 1997 at Kobe City General Hospital was performed. Unbiased estimates of MNV data were compared for prognostic value with the level of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Fifty patients were stage 1 (TxNoMo), and 7 patients were stage 2 (TxN1-2M0). All patients received orchiectomy, followed by radiation therapy. Estimates of MNV of stage 2 patients were significantly larger than that of stage 1 patients (P = 0.0142). Although the LDH level was also significantly higher in stage 2 (P = 0.001), there were no significant differences between stages 1 and 2 with respect to beta-HCG (P = 0.997), ALP (P = 0.226), and AFP (P = 0.467). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the estimate of MNV was the only variable predicting lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0315). In stage 1 patients, only the estimate of MNV was significantly correlated with progression-free survival (P = 0.0118). These findings indicate that the estimate of MNV may be an important prognostic indicator for testicular seminoma. Estimates of MNV may also be useful for excluding patients from surveillance protocols. (+info)
Origin and distribution of potassium bromate-induced testicular and peritoneal mesotheliomas in rats.
(80/2042)
Tissue sections were examined from a 2-year bioassay of male Fischer 344 rats treated with potassium bromate administered in drinking water. All animals exhibiting peritoneal mesotheliomas also had mesotheliomas of the tunica vaginalis testis mesorchium (the reverse was not true), and the correlation of these 2 types of mesotheliomas was highly significant (r2 = 0.98). Mapping of the tunica vaginalis tumors at all time points and at all bromate concentrations revealed a pattern of increasing incidence of tumor formation on the mesothelium of the tunica vaginalis testis as a function of proximity to the mesorchial ligament. Thus, the mesorchium appears to be the major mesothelial target site for potassium bromate-mediated carcinogenesis. The frequency of occurrence of mesotheliomas by location was tunica vaginalis testis (25%), mesosplenium (20%), mesentery (10%), mesojejunum/mesocolon (8%), bladder (6.5%), mesogastrium (13%), liver serosa (5%), and kidney, small intestine, and rectum (1% each). A complete cross-section of the rat testis was prepared and used to construct a complete map of the mesothelium. Any attempt to determine the role of local dose and tissue susceptibility for the purpose of interspecies risk extrapolation must take into account the complex anatomy and physiology of this region of the visceral and testicular suspensory apparatus. Improved histologic approaches are needed for adequate assessment of this delicate suspensory system. (+info)