Biomedical subjects

Carl Morrison

Publications and source records attributed to Carl Morrison.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Oral contraceptive pills are associated with artifacts in ThinPrep Pap smears that mimic low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions.

BACKGROUND: The authors noted a significant increase in the diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) in premenopausal women using oral contraceptive pills (OCP) (9%) versus women not on OCP (4%) using ThinPrep Pap smears (P = 0.02). The purpose of this study was to correlate these morphologic changes with human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection by in situ hybridization and clinical follow-up. METHODS: Eighty-four ThinPrep Pap smears diagnosed as ASCUS or ASCUS favor low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL) in young women receiving OCP were studied by HPV in situ hybridization. This information was correlated with colposcopic follow-up and AutoCyte Pap smear results. The authors also studied 80 ThinPreps from young women with a Pap smear diagnosis of unequivocal LGSIL where there was a corresponding biopsy (positive controls) and 40 ThinPreps diagnosed as within normal limits and that rescreened as such (negative controls). RESULTS: The detection rate of HPV DNA by in situ hybridization was 33% (28 of 84) in ASCUS cases versus 90% (72 of 80) for cases of unequivocal LGSIL. A blinded review of the 29 ASCUS Pap smears performed by AutoCyte showed that 66% (19 of 29) were diagnosed as within normal limits. The majority of the cervical biopsies in the women with ASCUS by ThinPrep Pap smears were negative for dysplasia (29 of 39 [74%]) whereas 71 of 80 biopsies (88%) showed dysplasia in women with Pap smears diagnosed as unequivocal LGSIL. The periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain demonstrated that many of the cells with halos in the ThinPrep Pap smears that mimicked LGSIL contained glycogen. CONCLUSION: The ThinPrep induces changes that mimic LGSIL in young women on OCP. These artifacts may reflect pressure-induced alteration of glycogen. PAS analysis and, more directly, HPV testing by in situ hybridization can help differentiate this mimicking from actual LGSILs.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

LOH of chromosome 12p correlates with Kras2 mutation in non-small cell lung cancer.

Previous observation has shown that the wild-type Kras2 allele is a suppressor of lung cancer in mice. Here we report that loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of chromosome 12p was detected in approximately 50% of human lung adenocarcinomas and large cell carcinomas, and Kras2 mutations were detected at codon 12 in approximately 40% of adenocarcinomas and large cell carcinomas. Interestingly, all of the lung adenocarcinomas and large cell carcinomas containing a Kras2 mutation exhibited allelic loss of the wild-type Kras2 allele when a correlation between LOH of the region on chromosome 12p and Kras2 mutation was made. These results from human lung cancer tissues provide a strong evidence in support of our previous observation in mouse models that the wild-type Kras2 is a tumor suppressor of lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2003

Cystic schwannoma of the pancreas.

Intrapancreatic schwannoma is a rare neoplasm. We report a case of a 46-year-old man with a cystic schwannoma in the head of the pancreas. This tumor, based on clinical manifestations and radiologic features, was initially suspected to be a cystic mucinous tumor of the pancreas or a pseudocyst. Histologically, the tumor was a typical schwannoma with cyst formation caused by degenerative changes. Immunostaining showed the tumor cells to be strongly and diffusely positive for S-100 protein, vimentin, and CD56, and negative for cytokeratin AE1/AE3, desmin, smooth muscle myosin specific, CD34, and CD117, which support the diagnosis of schwannoma. Cystic schwannoma is a rare neoplasm occurring in the pancreas and should be considered in the differential diagnoses for patients presenting with pancreatic cystic lesions.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed2003

Direct and indirect immunofluorescence as a diagnostic adjunct in the interpretation of nonneoplastic medical lung disease.

Fresh open lung biopsy material from 57 patients was incubated with fluoresceinated complement and immunoglobulin antisera. An indirect immunofluorescent assay using neonatal lung as substrate was conducted as well. Direct immunofluorescent patterns could be categorized into interalveolar septal capillary deposition, large vessel wall localization, alveolar basement membrane localization, or a pauci-immune immunofluorescence pattern. With respect to the septal capillary pattern, endothelial cell decoration was seen with scleroderma, mixed connective tissue disease, anti-Ro-associated lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, humoral allograft rejection, and patients with isolated pulmonary fibrosis in whom autoantibodies were established, including antiphospholipid antibodies. A similar pattern of endothelial cell staining was seen in these cases via the indirect assay. Granular mural septal capillary deposition was seen in the aforesaid settings along with rheumatoid factor-positive rheumatoid arthritis, type II cryofibrinogenemia, and mixed cryoglobulinemia and, in some cases, light microscopically corresponded to a neutrophilic capillaritis. Isolated vascular IgA corresponded with rheumatoid arthritis corresponding to IgA-specific antiendothelial cell antibodies, celiac disease-associated pulmonary hemorrhage, Schönlein-Henoch purpura and with IgA antiphospholipid antibodies. Alveolar wall deposition was seen with anti-glomerular basement membrane disease.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

The utility of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor immunohistochemistry in the distinction of metastatic breast carcinoma from other tumors in the liver.

CONTEXT: The distinction of metastatic breast adenocarcinoma (MBA) to the liver from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CC), and metastatic adenocarcinoma from other sites may require the use of immunohistochemistry. The use of antibodies directed against estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) has been suggested to help make this distinction. OBJECTIVE: To examine the utility of ER and PR immunohistochemistry in the distinction of MBA from HCC, CC, and other metastatic adenocarcinomas in the liver. METHODS: Ninety-two previously characterized hepatic neoplasms were identified, including HCC (n = 14), CC (n = 16), and metastatic tumors from breast (n = 17), colorectal (n = 14), pancreatic (n = 15), and esophageal/gastric (n = 16) origins. For all cases of metastatic tumor, the primary tumor was reviewed to verify the diagnosis. All tumors were graded as well, moderately, or poorly differentiated. Estrogen receptor and PR immunohistochemical staining was performed on all cases and evaluated by 2 pathologists. RESULTS: Immunoreactivity for ER was identified only in MBA, with 6 (35%) of 17 cases positive. Positive immunoreactivity for PR was not restricted to MBA, but was seen in HCC, CC, esophageal/gastric, and pancreatic metastases. Positive immunostaining with PR was nearly as frequent in poorly differentiated carcinomas of nonbreast origin (3/16 cases, 19%) as in poorly differentiated breast carcinomas (2/8 cases, 25%). CONCLUSION: Progesterone receptor exhibited poor specificity and sensitivity for the distinction of MBA from HCC, CC, and other metastatic adenocarcinomas. Estrogen receptor exhibited poor sensitivity for MBA, although the specificity was good. The finding that PR positivity was present with a similar frequency in poorly differentiated tumors of breast and nonbreast origin limits the usefulness of this marker. Therefore, ER and PR staining have limited utility in the distinction of MBA from HCC, CC, and other metastatic adenocarcinomas in the liver.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2002

The histologic spectrum of epidermodysplasia verruciformis in transplant and AIDS patients.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to correlate the histologic findings of skin lesions clinically suspicious for epidermodysplasia verruciformis with the viral findings in patients with organ transplants or AIDS. METHODS: Thirty-seven skin biopsies from 17 patients (six with AIDS and 11 with transplants) were studied as a non-randomized, controlled, unblinded case series by in situ hybridization for HPV DNA. RESULTS: Nineteen (51%) of these biopsies were HPV-positive by in situ hybridization either for HPV type 5 (five cases), type 8 (10 cases), type 16 (four cases) or HPV 31 (one case, with one case of dual infection). Only eight of the 19 HPV-positive tissues (42%) showed the classic histologic features of verruca planae. The more common histologic feature significantly associated with HPV detection was a focally thickened and disrupted granular layer (13/19 [68%] vs. 8/18 [44%], p < 0.04). Dysplasia was evident in 12/19 HPV-positive tissues (63%), which was significantly greater than in patients with congenital epidermodysplasia verruciformis (20%). CONCLUSIONS: Oncogenic HPV types are detected in about one-half of skin biopsies from immunocompromised patients with a clinical presentation suspicious for epidermodysplasia verruciformis. Many of these lesions lack the histologic features of verruca planae, a focally thickened granular layer is a marker for viral detection, and the risk for dysplasia in such lesions is much higher than in epidermodysplasia verruciformis not associated with acquired immunosuppression.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed2002

Endometrial stromal sarcoma of the retroperitoneum.

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is an uncommon neoplasm whose occurrence outside the uterus is extremely rare in the absence of metastasis or extension of a primary uterine neoplasm. When ESS occurs in such locations it is often associated with the uterine adnexa or serosal surface of various organs. Although rare, ESS is usually considered in the differential diagnosis of spindle cell neoplasms in the female patient. We report a case of ESS arising in the retroperitoneum and discuss the morphologic and immunohistochemical features in the context of the differential diagnosis of a retroperitoneal low-grade spindle cell neoplasm occurring in the female patient.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

A comparison of CD10 to pCEA, MOC-31, and hepatocyte for the distinction of malignant tumors in the liver.

The distinction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from metastatic adenocarcinoma (MA) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) in some cases requires the use of immunohistochemistry. CD10 has recently been suggested as a useful stain for HCC. We directly compared CD10 with other immunohistochemical markers, Hepatocyte, pCEA, and MOC31, that have previously shown to be useful for the distinction between tumors in the liver to help define the current panel of stains that most readily distinguishes HCC from CC and MA. One hundred previously well-characterized tumors in the liver were evaluated and included 25 HCC, 15 CC, and 60 MAs (15 each from breast, esophageal/gastric, pancreatic, and colorectal origin). Tumors were immunostained with the commercially available antibodies Hepatocyte, pCEA, MOC31, and CD10. CD10 stained 13 of 25 HCC and was rarely positive in MA and CC (3/75). Hepatocyte stained 24 of 25 HCC and was negative in all 75 MA and CC. pCEA stained 24 of 25 HCC and 71 of 75 MA and CC with the proper pattern of immunoreactivity, but the pattern of staining was difficult to interpret in several cases. MOC31 stained 1 of 25 HCC and 65 of 75 MA and CC. Hepatocyte was the most sensitive and specific single marker for HCC. CD10 is not a useful addition or substitution to the panel of Hepatocyte, MOC31, and pCEA. The combination of Hepatocyte, MOC31, and pCEA correctly classified 99 of 100 tumors in this study and is our proposed panel of immunostains for the initial workup of malignant tumors in the liver.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2002

Cytopathology of malignant melanoma in conventional and liquid-based smears.

We evaluated 62fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy specimens of metastatic malignant melanoma (MM) from 62 patients and compared 84 smears with the corresponding tissue sections. Melanin is found more often in FNA smears than in corresponding tissue sections of metastatic MM but is significantly less abundant in smears. Melanin is present more often in liquid-based than in conventional smears. Pseudoinclusions were almost twice as frequent in tissue sections as in corresponding aspirates, regardless of the preparation method. There was no statistical difference for cell type or cytoplasmic features in the tissue sections and aspirates or between the type of preparation and/or stain used. With the exception of melanin, direct comparison of liquid-based and conventional smears showed higher cellularity in the former as the only difference.

Biopsy, Needle↗

PubMedDate not supplied

RASSF1A promoter methylation and Kras2 mutations in non small cell lung cancer.

In the present studies, we investigated the correlation between RASSF1A promoter methylation status and Kras2 mutations in 65 primary non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) including 33 adenocarcinomas, 12 large cell carcinomas, and 20 squamous cell carcinomas. Mutational analysis of Kras2 showed: 30% (10 of 33) of adenocarcinomas, 25% (3 of 12) of large cell carcinomas, and only 5% (1 of 20) of squamous cell carcinomas contained activated Kras2 mutation at codon 12 or 13. RASSF1A promoter region CpG island methylation was detected in adenocarcinomas (55%), large cell carcinomas (25%), and squamous cell carcinomas (25%). Interestingly, combined RASSF1A methylation and Kras2 mutation data show that only - 7% adenocarcinomas/large cell carcinomas exhibited both KRASSF1A promoter methylation and Kras2 mutation, whereas 24% adenocarcinomas, 50% large cell carcinomas, and 70% squamous cell carcinomas showed neither Kras2 mutation nor RASSF1A promoter methylation. These results showed that the majority of the primary NSCLCs with Kras2 mutations lack RASSF1A inactivation, and both RASSF1A inactivation and Kras2 mutation events occur frequently in adenocarcinomas and large cell carcinomas. Our results indicate a trend of inverse relationship between Kras2 activation and RASSF1A promoter methylation in the majority of human lung adenocarcinomas and large cell carcinomas.

Adenocarcinoma↗