Biomedical subjects

G Cecilie Alfsen

Publications and source records attributed to G Cecilie Alfsen.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Pax-5 expression in nonhematopoietic tissues.

We evaluated 123 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples, including neuroendocrine tumors, adult brain, mesonephric tissues, and from various other sites. A pre-B lymphoma cell line, Daudi, and a small cell carcinoma cell line, NCL-H128, were evaluated by Western blot. All tissues were immunostained by mouse monoclonal anti-Pax-5 antibody by using standard, synthetic polymer-based detection methods. Our study describes for the first time distribution of Pax-5 in adult brain tissue, including periaqueductal gray matter of the midbrain, area postrema of the medulla oblongata, and occasional cells of the spinal trigeminal nucleus (caudal nucleus). We confirm that Pax-5 is expressed regularly in poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumors but never in well-differentiated classic carcinoid tumors. Pax-5 expression also was found readily in benign and malignant mesonephric tissues and focally in müllerian duct-derived tissues and tumors. Expression of Pax-5 in the Daudi and NCL-H128 cell lines was confirmed by Western blot. Together, these results are important for correct interpretation of results in immunophenotyping of undifferentiated tumors, for diagnosis of mesonephric carcinoma, and, potentially, for correct classification of neuroendocrine tumors in small biopsy samples.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

The prognostic impact of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors p21WAF1, p27Kip1, and p16INK4/MTS1 in adenocarcinomas of the uterine cervix: an immunohistochemical evaluation of expression patterns in population-based material from 142 patients with international federation of gynecology and obstetrics stage I and II adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The authors assessed the prognostic significance of abnormal cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKI) expression in adenocarcinomas of the uterine cervix. METHODS: Population-based, archival material from patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stage I and II cervical adenocarcionmas from 2 5-year periods (1976-1980, n = 82 patients; 1986-1990, n = 142 patients) was examined for expression of p21(WAF1), p27(Kip1), and p16(INK4/MTS1) using immunohistochemical techniques. RESULTS: Rates of tumors with low levels of nuclear expression of p27 and p16 were lower during the period 1976-1980 (P < 0.01), suggesting bias due to unbuffered formalin. Analyses that were restricted to patients from 1986-1990 showed positive associations between all three CDKIs (P < 0.05). Low p16 expression was associated with higher FIGO stage (P = 0.01), age older than 55 years (P = 0.01), and deep invasion (P = 0.003). No significant associations with stage, age, or histopathologic parameters were found for p21 or p27. Significant associations with tumor differentiation were not seen for any CDKI. Kaplan-Meier plots showed diverging survival curves for p21 and p27 expression, but the differences were not significant. In multivariate analysis, low p27 expression and high p16 expression were strong predictors of a poor prognosis (p27: < 40% nuclear staining; P = 0.001; hazard ratio, 3.18; p16: < 40% nuclear staining; P < 0.001; hazard ratio, 0.16). Low p27 expression was of prognostic significance only if it was analyzed together with p16 expression. Further evaluation indicated that patients with different phenotypic p27/p16 combinations may have different outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Aberrant expression patterns of CDKIs were predictors of prognosis for patients with FIGO Stage I or II cervical adenocarcinoma. Analysis of CDKI expression in this patient group may prove clinically useful.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2003

Postchemotherapy retroperitoneal surgery remains necessary in patients with nonseminomatous testicular cancer and minimal residual tumor masses.

PURPOSE: To determine preoperative parameters that predict the histology of specimens obtained by retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) in patients with nonseminomatous germ cell cancer (NSGCT) whose residual mass was </= 20 mm in diameter after modern cisplatin-based induction chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-seven patients with metastatic NSGCT underwent RPLND after having received cisplatin- or carboplatin-based induction chemotherapy. In all patients, the largest diameter of the residual mass on the transaxial plane was </= 20 mm, as assessed by abdominal computed tomography (CT) immediately before RPLND. RESULTS: Complete fibrosis or necrosis was found in 58 patients (67%), teratoma was found in 23 patients (26%), and vital malignant germ cell tumor was found in six patients (7%), including one patient with rhabdomyosarcoma in the RPLND specimen. In five of the six latter patients, the residual lesion was </= 10 mm at pre-RPLND CT. No pre- or postchemotherapy clinical or radiologic parameter was identified that significantly predicted the histology of the residual mass. CONCLUSION: One third of retroperitoneal postchemotherapy lesions </= 20 mm contained residual vital tumor tissue, despite modern chemotherapy regimens. Therefore, postchemotherapy RPLND remains necessary in patients with minimal-size residual lesions to facilitate easy and safe follow-up and initiate additional therapy as early as possible, thus avoiding recurrences.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Reproducibility of classification in non-squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix.

OBJECTIVE: Reproducibility of histopathologic classification systems is of major importance for their utility in daily practice and in research. The reproducibility of histologic classification of non-squamous carcinomas (non-SCC) of the uterine cervix was evaluated, using population-based material from two 5-year periods in Norway. METHODS: Histologic slides from 388 tumors were reviewed by three experienced pathologists and analyzed for inter- and intraobserver agreement on histological subtypes and grade. RESULTS: Kappa values of inter- and intraobserver agreement were moderate to substantial for all major adenocarcinoma subgroups (endocervical, endometrioid, clear cell, or serous carcinoma), and fair to poor for mixed carcinomas and adenocarcinomas not otherwise specified (NOS). Interobserver agreement on villoglandular and adenosquamous carcinomas was poor, and the distinction of adenocarcinoma in situ from well-differentiated carcinoma proved difficult. Reproducibility of the high-risk subgroups of small cell and undifferentiated carcinomas was acceptable from a statistical point of view (kappa values >0.50). However, the authors agreed upon the diagnosis of small cell carcinomas and undifferentiated carcinomas only in 2/3 of these high-risk diagnoses. Patients with high-risk diagnoses showed significantly lower overall survival than patients with non-high-risk diagnoses (P < 0.001). This inferior survival was independent of whether the reviewers had agreed on the high-risk diagnosis or not. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be aware of the potential inconsistencies of histopathologic diagnoses. No histopathological classification system will ever be perfectly reproducible. Future histopathologic classification of the uterine cervix should emphasize the distinction between groups of particularly low or high prognostic risks.

Adenocarcinoma↗