[Calcifying fibrous tumor: a clinicopathological analysis of 32 cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, histogenesis, immunophenotypes, molecular genetic characteristics, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of calcifying fibrous tumors (CFT). Methods: A total of 32 cases of CFT (22 cases from Henan Provincial People's Hospital and 10 cases from PLA Army Medical Center) diagnosed between June 2009 and February 2019 were reviewed. The clinical and pathologic data were analyzed. Results: There were 12 male and 20 female patients, aged from 15 to 63 years (mean 40.8 years). Eleven cases occurred in stomach, four cases in retroperitoneum, four cases in ovary, two cases in scrotum, two cases in mediastinum, two cases in head and neck, one case each in thoracic cavity, lung, adrenal gland, kidney, sigmoid colon, epididymis and mesosalpinx. All the tumors were solid masses with clear boundaries. The maximal dimension of the tumors ranged from 0.6 to 10.0 cm. Microscopically, there was hypocellular stromal sclerosis and wavy storiform coarse collagen with superimposed scattered or patchy lymphocytes and plasma cells; calcification or gravel formation were also detected. Immunohistochemistry showed that spindle cells were positive for vimentin and some were positive for CD34; and they were negative for calponin, SMA, desmin, S-100 protein, SOX10, STAT6, β-catenin, ALK, CD117, DOG1, CKpan, and EMA. No ALK rearrangement was detected by FISH in all cases. No C-KIT and PDGFRA mutation was detected in all the tested 11 cases of stomach, four cases of retroperitoneal and one case of sigmoid colon CFT. MDM2 was not amplified by FISH in all four tested cases of retroperitoneal CFT. Conclusions: CFT is a rare benign tumor of fibroblastic cell origin. The diagnosis mainly depends on histomorphologic analysis and immunophenotyping. CFT should be differentiated from other benign and malignant spindle cell mesenchymal tumors.

Nearly a Third of High-Grade Dysplasia and Colorectal Cancer Is Undetected in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

It is unclear whether intensive surveillance protocols have resulted in a decreased incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

AIMS

To determine the prevalence and characteristics of IBD associated high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or CRC that was undetected on prior colonoscopy.

METHODS

This is a single-center, retrospective study from 1994 to 2013. All participants had a confirmed IBD diagnosis and underwent a colectomy with either HGD or CRC found in the colectomy specimen.The undetected group had no HGD or CRC on prior colonoscopies. The detected group had HGD or CRC identified on previous biopsies.

RESULTS

Of 70 participants, with ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 47), Crohn's disease (CD) (n = 21), and indeterminate colitis (n = 2), 29% (n = 20) had undetected HGD/CRC at colectomy (15 HGD and 5 CRC). In the undetected group, 75% had prior LGD, 15% had indefinite dysplasia, and 10% had no dysplasia (HGD was found in colonic strictures). Patients in the undetected group were more likely to have pancolitis (55 vs. 20%) and multifocal dysplasia (35 vs. 8%). The undetected group was less likely to have CRC at colectomy (25 vs. 62%). There was a trend toward right-sided HGD/CRC at colectomy (40 vs. 20%; p = 0.08). In addition, 84% of the lesions found in the rectum at colectomy were not seen on prior colonoscopy in the undetected group.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of previously undetected HGD/CRC in IBD found at colectomy was 29%. The high proportion of undetected rectal and right-sided HGD/CRC suggests that these areas may need greater attention during surveillance.

Increased iron absorption in lemurs: Quantitative screening and assessment of dietary prevention

Iron storage disease (ISD) in lemurs has been reported since as early as the 1960s, and in the 1980s was demonstrated to be a consistent finding in postmortem investigations of captive lemurs. Since then this disease has consistently been diagnosed at the point of necropsy. In the current study we describe a preclinical screening procedure, as well as the quantified preventive effects of dietary intervention upon iron absorption. Twenty-three individual lemurs of four species were initially tested with the transferrin saturation test (%TS); 21 of these animals were on conventional zoo diets, and two were fed a specific diabetic diet. Initially, 20 of 21 lemurs on conventional zoo diets were demonstrated to have %TS levels above the normal range for humans; 17 of these lemurs were in the category (for humans) of excessive iron absorption. A dietary change aimed at reducing dietary iron and vitamin C levels and increasing the levels of iron-chelating tannins and/or phytates was instigated. After the animals were retested, a matched-pair comparison of %TS values before and after the diet change revealed significantly (P=0.038, n=7) lower %TS values after the diet change. All species averages were in the human hyperabsorption range on conventional zoo diets (n=21). No species averages were in that range after the dietary change (n=18). The results indicate that further investigations into the use of %TS testing in lemur husbandry, and specific preventive dietary measures, should be conducted.

Electrolyte induced vesiculation of MA782 mice mammary adenocarcinoma ascites cells

MA782 ascites cells were found to vesiculate when incubated in electrolyte solutions and release giant plasma membrane vesicles with diameters ranging from 5 microns to 15 microns. The vesicles, generated from the plasma membrane and free of cellular organelles, as visualized by microscopy and marker-enzyme analysis, could be proposed as a useful model membrane system.