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D Larsimont

Publications and source records attributed to D Larsimont.

69 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Medullary carcinoma of the breast: a tumour lacking keratin 19.

The presence of keratin 19 (K19) was searched for by immunostaining in 16 medullary carcinomas, comprising 12 typical and four atypical cases, in 29 undifferentiated high-grade carcinomas (NOS-HG) with conspicuous lymphoid response and in 12 well differentiated low-grade carcinomas (NOS-LG). The medullary carcinomas were all negative whereas 23 of the high-grade and all 12 low-grade carcinomas expressed K19. Staining for K19 could be of value in the differential diagnosis of these tumours. Furthermore, these findings, with other observations, raise the possibility that medullary carcinoma cells could be linked to precursor cells of the terminal duct lobular units because both populations share several characteristics.

Breast Neoplasms↗

[Plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumor].

Plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumour has been recently described by Enzinger and Zhang. This is a rare tumour with low grade malignancy which requires large excision. We report two cases, one occurring in a 58-year-old man, presenting a voluminous painless mass of 5 cm on his hand, the other occurring in a 9-year-old boy consulting for a nodule on the chest. On histological examination this dermal hypodermal tumour is characterized by a proliferation of histiocytic-like cells grouped in nodules, where they are associated with multinucleated osteoclastic-like cells and a proliferation of fibroblastic-like cells grouped in fascicles, anastomosing in a plexiform pattern. Immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural aspects are described. Differential diagnosis and histogenesis are discussed.

Child↗

[Kidney cancer: fortuitous discovery of a para-uterine mass at the beginning of pregnancy].

The authors relate the case of an incidental detection of a renal cell carcinoma in pregnancy. The tumor appeared as an heterogeneous adnexial mass. Special consideration for the diagnostic evaluation was taken because of pregnancy and a minimal number of CAT scan was performed. A radical nephrectomy was performed at 13 weeks. The patient tolerance, the pregnancy and postdelivery courses were as well as possible. No recurrence of the carcinoma occurred. This cas is discussed in the light of the literature.

Adult↗

Parvovirus H-1 inhibits growth of short-term tumor-derived but not normal mammary tissue cultures.

Infection with parvovirus H-1 strongly interfered with the proliferation of non-established tissue cultures derived from human breast tumors, but had little effect on the growth of corresponding normal human mammary cells. Even though tumor cells were always more sensitive to the virus than normal tissue from the same patient, appreciable quantitative differences were observed among tumor specimens. With time and sub-cultures, the killing effect of the virus on tumor cells became amplified. The impaired growth of infected tumor cells was due both to cytotoxic and to cytostatic action of H-1 virus and was associated with their greater capacity for virus-DNA amplification as compared with normal cells.

Breast↗

Influence of fetal bovine serum and hormones on primary vs. long-term cultures of human breast cancers.

We investigated the influence of fetal bovine serum, complemented or otherwise with estradiol or insulin or both, on the proliferation of mammary cancer cells from long-term and primary cultures. The long-term culture corresponded to mouse MXT and MCF-7 cell lines whereas the primary culture corresponded to primitive breast cancers squashed onto histologic slides and maintained in cultures for between 12 and 48 h. Cell proliferation was evaluated by means of digital cell image analysis of Feulgen-stained nuclei. Our results show that the addition of estradiol and insulin slightly but nevertheless significantly increases the proportion of cells still living at Hour 48 of culture. Fetal bovine serum, necessary for the growth of MXT and MCF-7 mammary cells, was highly cytotoxic with respect to the primary cultures of the 20 breast cancers under study. We are now conducting new experiments using chemically defined media to study the influence of new antineoplastic compounds on primary cultures of breast cancers.

Animals↗

Digital cell image analysis of Ewing's sarcoma.

We analyzed the lesional tissue in Ewing's sarcoma by means of a cell image processor computing 15 nuclear parameters in order to quantify the morphologic variability of the tumor cell nuclei. To this end we combined 32 cases (350-400 Feulgen-stained nuclei analyzed per case) in a data file, which was then subjected to principal component and canonical analyses. We found considerable heterogeneity within the cell nucleus population of Ewing's sarcomas. Indeed, after the arbitrary subdivision of the file into two cell classifiers (CC1 and CC2 cell types) on the basis of the first canonical function, the 32 Ewing's sarcomas showed a great deal of variability in the proportion of CC1 and CC2 cell nucleus types. The nuclei of the CC1 type had a more finely textured chromatin when compared to the CC2 type, the nuclei of which exhibited a more granular chromatin pattern. Additionally, these 32 Ewing's sarcomas were characterized by three distinct DNA histogram types. Eight tumors displayed a diploid nonproliferating DNA histogram pattern (type A), 11 a diploid proliferating (type B) and 13 an aneuploid (type C) DNA histogram profile. We found a highly significant relationship between these DNA histogram types and the CC1:CC2 cell type percentage ratio. The eight Ewing's sarcomas with a type A DNA histogram contained a significantly higher proportion of CC1 cell type nuclei as compared to the 13 tumors with a type C DNA histogram, which contained a great proportion of CC2 cell type nuclei.

Cell Nucleus↗

Comparison of fine needle aspirates of breast cancers to imprint smears by means of digital cell image analysis.

Morphonuclear assessments were performed using the SAMBA 2005 cell image processor on cell nuclei in fine needle aspirates and corresponding imprint smears from 17 not-otherwise-specified (NOS) breast carcinomas to study the influence of cell sampling on the morphonuclear measurements. Fourteen parameters related to densitometric (nuclear DNA content), morphometric (nuclear area) and textural (chromatin organization and distribution) characteristics were computed for each nucleus. The results demonstrated that such morphonuclear features evolved significantly and positively with respect to conventional histopathologic grading. The method of cell sampling significantly influenced the results, but without altering the general conclusions regarding evolution of the morphonuclear features.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Characterization of human colorectal mucosa, polyps, and cancers by means of computerized morphonuclear image analyses.

Fifty-eight Feulgen-stained imprint smears from freshly resected colorectal tissue were analyzed by means of a SAMBA 200 cell image processor to establish a quantitative grading of their evolution from normal to malignant mucosa on the basis of 15 morphonuclear parameters relative to morphometry (nuclear size), densitometry (DNA content), and texture (chromatin pattern). The colorectal samples belonged to six groups: normal mucosa from patients without (Group 1) or with (Group 2) colorectal cancer, adenomas (Group 3), and cancers corresponding to the three stages of the Dukes' classification (Groups 4 to 6). Results indicated that analysis of the morphonuclear parameters computed on 250 to 300 nuclei/cases objectively and quantitatively showed the adenoma-cancer sequence. This need for only a small number of nuclei to assess a highly efficient analysis created a preoperative investigative tool using cytologic smears during endoscopy. The authors also made preliminary data banks for objective and reproducible grading of unknown cases by comparisons (discriminant analyses) with their contents. This approach must be validated prospectively on a large series of cases to furnish a system for colorectal malignancy diagnosis.

Cell Nucleus↗

Characterization of the morphonuclear features and DNA ploidy of typical and atypical carcinoids and small cell carcinomas of the lung.

The authors analyzed several cytomorphonuclear parameters related to chromatin distribution and DNA ploidy in typical and atypical carcinoids and in small cell lung cancers. Nuclear measurements and analysis were performed with a SAMBA 200 (TITN, Grenoble, France) cell image processor with software allowing the discrimination of parameters computed on cytospin preparations of Feulgen-stained nuclei extracted from deparaffinized tumor tissues. The authors' results indicate a significant increase in DNA content--assessed by integrated optical density (IOD)--from typical carcinoids to small cell lung carcinomas, with atypical carcinoids showing an intermediate value. Parameters related to hyperchromatism (short and long run length and variance of optical density) also characterize the atypical carcinoids as being intermediate between typical carcinoids and small cell lung cancers. The systematic measurement of these cytomorphonuclear parameters seems to define an objective, reproducible "scale" of differentiation that helps to define the atypical carcinoid and may be of value in establishing cytologic criteria for differential diagnosis.

Carcinoid Tumor↗

Correlation between nuclear cytomorphometric parameters and estrogen receptor levels in breast cancer.

The authors studied the relationships existing between various cytomorphonuclear parameters recorded on 25 primary breast cancers and their estrogen receptor (ER) content. Cell image analyses of Feulgen-stained imprint smears, allowing determination of morphologic, densitometric, as well as textural parameters, were assessed by using the SAMBA 200 system (TITN, France). The ER levels were measured by the conventional dextran-coated charcoal assay. The authors then divided the 25 cancers into three categories: (1) "ER-negative or poorly positive tumors," i.e., those having less than 50 fmol ER/mg protein; (2) "ER-positive tumors," i.e., those containing between 50 and 150 fmol ER/mg protein; and (3) "ER highly positive tumors," i.e., those having more than 150 fmol ER/mg protein. The authors' results show that ER-negative or poorly positive breast cancers possess cells with bigger nuclei and higher DNA content, related to higher proliferation index than ER-rich tumors. Furthermore, the chromatin pattern of cells from ER-negative or poorly positive breast cancers is significantly more condensed than the thinly textured chromatin of ER highly positive tumors. Cell image analysis of Feulgen-stained imprints is proposed as an additional tool for grading malignancy.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, methotrexate, bleomycin and vincristine (CABO) in patients with stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Forty-six patients with Stage III-IV previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, methotrexate, bleomycin and vincristine. The overall response rate was 70%, with a 9% complete response rate. The most frequent side effects were myelosuppression, nausea and vomiting, alopecia, neurotoxicity and stomatitis. Definitive local therapy consisted of surgery alone in 13 cases, surgery plus radiation in another 13, and radiotherapy alone in 14. Six patients, four of whom died, received no definitive local therapy and two were lost to follow-up. The median disease-free survival time was 10.5 months, and the most frequent cause of failure was local regional relapse (85%). Median survival time was 13 months and there were eight long-term survivals (median 48 months). Response to chemotherapy was independent of all analysed prognostic factors. Disease-free survival and survival were significantly influenced by the presence or absence of lymph nodes. Our results do not support the routine use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, methotrexate, bleomycin, and vincristine in patients with advanced cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Relationship between computerized morphonuclear image analysis and histopathologic grading of breast cancer.

A pilot study analyzed the relationship between several morphonuclear parameters and the Bloom-Richardson score for 37 invasive, not-otherwise-specified (NOS) ductal breast carcinomas. The SAM-BA 200 cell image processor and its software were used to measure the nuclear features on Feulgen-stained imprint smears. Two parameters representing the numbers of large and dense chromatin clots and two parameters describing the heterogeneity of the chromatin among nuclei in a specimen evolved in a continuous manner parallel with the Bloom-Richardson score from stages NOS-4 to NOS-8. The systematic measurement of these four parameters on a large series of breast cancers may be able to define an objective and reproducible "scale" of differentiation that could be a helpful tool for pathologists and clinicians.

Adult↗

Human medullary thyroid carcinoma: cell cultures and xenotransplants in nude mice. Immunocytochemistry and calcitonin secretion.

Occult primary and recurrent medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTC) detected only by elevated calcitonin levels in the peripheral blood, generally after pentagastrin-test stimulation, are difficult to localize. Some new imaging procedures with radionuclide tracers or radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies against carcinoembryonic antigen seem to bring some potentially therapeutic benefits. We report our results with cell cultures and xenotransplants of human MTC with the intention of establishing reproducible models in vitro and in vivo. Cell cultures secrete calcitonin at up to 1200 pg/ml for periods ranging from 3 to 13 weeks. Immunocytochemistry detects cytoplasmic granules positive for calcitonin in polygonal epithelioid cells with dendritic processes. Xenotransplants in nude mice fare better in the subcutaneous axilla than in the subrenal capsule assay. In the former location the tumor-take is good and calcitonin is detected in the blood of the tumor-bearing animals, at levels ranging from 286 to more than 20,000 pg/ml. These models would be potentially usable as targets for radionuclide tracers and/or radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies.

Animals↗

Digital cell image analysis of Feulgen-stained nuclei from human papillary, medullary, colloid, lobular and comedocarcinomas of the breast.

The morphonuclear characteristics (nuclear size and chromatin pattern), the proliferation index and the ploidy level were characterized in a series of 46 breast tumors including medullary (5 cases), papillary (6 cases), lobular (27 cases), colloid (4 cases) and comedo- (4 cases) carcinomas. The quantitative assessments were carried out by means of digital cell image analyses of Feulgen-stained nuclei from imprint smears. The results show that monovariate analyses (one-way variance analyses) were much less potent than multivariate analyses (principal components analyses followed by the canonical transformation of the data and discriminant analyses) in assessing the morphonuclear characteristics of these breast tumors. The multivariate analyses indicated that there might be a level of malignancy which increases according to the sequence papillary and medullary and colloid carcinomas-->comedocarcinomas-->lobular carcinomas. This assertion is corroborated by the ploidy-level-related results which revealed a higher proportion of highly aneuploid cases in the group of lobular carcinomas than in the group which included medullary, papillary and colloid carcinomas. However, since highly aneuploid cases were also encountered in this latter low malignancy level group, we expressed the hypothesis firstly that aneuploidy reflects two distinct biological properties, i.e. the aggressiveness of a tumor and its age, and secondly that a highly aneuploid but low malignancy tumor should correspond to old degenerating tumors.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗