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Biomedical subjects

M C Copin

Publications and source records attributed to M C Copin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

MUC4 expression is regulated by cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells via transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms.

MUC4 mucin is a high molecular weight transmembrane glycoprotein that plays important roles in tumour biology. It is aberrantly expressed in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, while not being detectable in the normal pancreas. Previous studies have demonstrated that the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a chloride channel that is defective in CF, is implicated in multiple cellular functions, including gene regulation. In the present study, using a CFTR-defective pancreatic cancer cell line and its derived subline expressing functional CFTR, we report that MUC4 expression is negatively regulated by CFTR. Short-interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated silencing of CFTR also leads to an increased expression of MUC4. Additionally, our results suggest that CFTR-mediated regulation of MUC4 is cell density-dependent and is achieved by transcriptional and posttranslational mechanisms. Moreover, in a panel of pancreatic cancer cell lines and normal pancreas, we observed that CFTR was downregulated in pancreatic cancer cells and negatively correlated with MUC4 in most cases. An aberrant expression of MUC4 was also detected in the CF pancreas. Downregulation of CFTR in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and its inverse association with the tumour-linked mucin, MUC4, indicate novel function(s) of CFTR in pancreatic tumour biology and suggest the implication of new signalling pathway(s) in MUC4 regulation.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Pulmonary hamartochondroma: a rare cause of solitary pulmonary nodule in children].

Solitary pulmonary nodules are rare in children. We report an eleven year-old girl evaluated for recurrent respiratory symptoms diagnosed with an intraparenchymal pulmonary hamartochondroma. Spiral computed tomography showed a pulmonary nodule in the middle lobe, 17 mm in diameter, without any specific features. In asymptomatic adult patients, guidelines for the management of solitary pulmonary nodules have been described. The management of solitary pulmonary nodules in pediatric patients is discussed.

Child↗

[Verocytotoxin positive haemolytic uremic syndrome and HIV-associated nephropathy].

UNLABELLED: Haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) are common renal diseases in the course of HIV-infected patients. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 13-month-old Caucasian boy hospitalised for a verocytotoxin positive HUS associated with HIV infection. After the acute phase of HUS the creatinine level returned to normal values. Because of progressive renal failure with severe overload hypertension and glomerular proteinuria despite antiretroviral therapy and angiotensine converting enzyme inhibitor, the child required peritoneal dialysis 12 months later. Clinical and biological course together with pathological findings were consistent with both typical HUS and HIVAN. CONCLUSION: This is the first paediatric case of typical HUS revealing a HIVAN. The association of HUS and HIVAN may explain the progression to end-stage renal failure despite antiretroviral therapy associated with angiotensine converting enzyme inhibitor and a good control of HIV replication. HIVAN is rare in children and may occur in the early phase of HIV infection even not only in black patients.

France↗

Normal respiratory mucosa, precursor lesions and lung carcinomas: differential expression of human mucin genes.

Mucins are glycoproteins synthesized by epithelial cells and thought to promote tumor-cell invasion. Eight human mucin genes have been well characterized: MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC5B, MUC6 map to 11p15.5 and encode secretory gel forming mucins while MUC1, MUC3, MUC4, MUC7 are scattered on different chromosomes and encode membrane-bound or secreted mucins. The expression pattern of the mucin genes is complex in normal airways involving six genes, mainly MUC5AC and MUC5B in mucus-producing cells and MUC4 in a wide array of epithelial cells. MUC5AC overexpression in metaplasia, dysplasia and normal epithelium adjacent to squamous cell carcinoma provides additional arguments for a mucous cell origin of preneoplastic squamous lesions. MUC5AC and MUC5B expression is related to mucus formation in adenocarcinomas. Mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) has a particular pattern of mucin gene expression indicating that it has sustained a well-differentiated phenotype similar to the goblet cell, correlated with distinctive features i.e. a noninvasive pattern and a better prognosis than nonBACs. MUC4 is the earlier mucin gene expressed in the foregut, before epithelial differentiation and is expressed independently of mucus secretion both in normal adult airways and carcinomas. These findings are in favor the histogenetic theory of non-small-cell carcinoma originating from a pluripotent mucous cell.

Gene Expression Regulation↗

The detection of Tel-TrkC chimeric transcripts is more specific than TrkC immunoreactivity for the diagnosis of congenital fibrosarcoma.

The t(12;15)(p13;q25) translocation, a recurrent chromosomal abnormality of congenital fibrosarcoma, leads to the expression of a Tel-TrkC fusion transcript. To determine whether detection of the chimeric protein may be helpful for the diagnosis of congenital fibrosarcoma, immunohistochemistry was performed with an anti-TrkC antibody on 26 spindle cell tumours of newborn or young children (n=19) or adults (n=7). Four out of five congenital fibrosarcomas showed TrkC immunoreactivity with cytoplasmic paranuclear staining. However, TrkC immunoreactivity was not restricted to congenital fibrosarcoma and was observed in infantile myofibromatosis, congenital haemangiopericytoma, desmoid tumour, nodular fasciitis, fibrous hamartoma, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour, and adult fibrosarcoma. RT-PCR analysis was performed on nine cases, including four congenital fibrosarcomas, for which frozen material was available. Tel-TrkC transcripts were detected by RT-PCR in the four congenital fibrosarcomas analysed, but not in the five other spindle cell tumours. Furthermore, several Tel-TrkC transcripts encoding for kinase isoforms of the Tel-TrkC protein were detected in congenital fibrosarcoma and may be involved in oncogenesis. The reciprocal TrkC-Tel transcript was detected in only one congenital fibrosarcoma. While the detection of a Tel-TrkC fusion transcript is a recurrent feature of congenital fibrosarcoma, TrkC immunoreactivity does not appear specific for the diagnosis of fibromatous paediatric tumours.

Adult↗

Mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinomas display a specific pattern of mucin gene expression among primary lung adenocarcinomas.

Lung adenocarcinomas are heterogeneous clinically and histologically. Expression of the mucin genes was analyzed as a molecular marker of glandular cytodifferentiation in primary lung adenocarcinomas. Expression was correlated with histopathologic subtypes of World Health Organization classification with the aim of investigating the histogenesis of primary lung adenocarcinomas. Thirty-four primary lung adenocarcinomas were examined by in situ hybridization for mucin gene expression (MUC1-4, MUC5AC, MUC5B, MUC6-7) and by immunohistochemistry for MUC5AC and MUC5B apomucin expression. Mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) had a homogeneous pattern of mucin gene expression different from those of other types of lung adenocarcinoma, involving secreted mucins (MUC5AC, MUC5B, and MUC6) and membrane-bound mucins (MUC1, MUC3, and MUC4). Non-BAC adenocarcinoma and mucinous BAC aberrantly expressed mucin genes MUC3, and MUC3 and MUC6, respectively, which are undetectable in normal fetal and adult lung. Our results show the particular phenotype of mucin gene expression in mucinous type of BACs and the heterogeneous expression of respiratory and nonrespiratory mucins in the other types. This finding supports the theory of a common progenitor cell with the potential of multicellular differentiation. From a practical point of view, the aberrant expression of MUC3 and MUC6 could serve as a diagnostic marker in the management of the mucinous type of bronchioloalveolar carcinomas. HUM PATHOL 32:274-281.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Pathologic and clinical features of 77 Hodgkin's lymphoma patients treated in a lymphoma protocol (LNH87): a GELA study.

Between 1987 and 1993, 77 of 2855 lymphomas included in the LNH87 protocol of the GELA as non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and reviewed by a panel of pathologists had a diagnosis changed to Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Some of these lymphomas had been initially interpreted as anaplastic large-cell lymphoma Hodgkin-like (ALCL-HL subtype). The purpose of this study was to analyze the histologic pitfalls initially encountered, to define more clearly the diagnostic criteria of lymphomas placed in the gray zone around HL, and to follow the survival of these 77 patients affected with HL and initially treated with NHL regimens. The 77 cases of HL were reviewed by three hematopathologists and immunostained with a large panel of antibodies, including CD30, CD15, CD3, CD20, CD45, CD43, LMP-1, EMA, BNH-9, TiA1, and ALK1. Each case was classified according to the Lukes-Rye system and the British National Lymphoma Investigation (BNLI) grading. The initial clinical presentation of patients was analyzed, and the overall and event-free survival rates of the 77 patients were estimated. Among the 77 HLs, 46 were misinterpreted as NHL by primary individual pathologists (12 as ALCL, 8 as ALCL-HL, 12 as peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), 6 as B-cell lymphoma, and 8 as unclassifiable NHL). The other 31 cases had been first considered by the panel as consistent with ALCL-HL (n = 18) or with PTCL (n = 13) and were changed later in view of an immunophenotype concordant with HL. Fifty-five percent of the patients completed the full NHL treatment. The 5-year event-free and overall survival rates were 54% and 77%, respectively. The current results indicate that lymphomas initially called ALCL-HL should not be regarded as a variant of ALCL, but as HL. The clinical consequences of misdiagnoses seem to be a lower event-free survival rate compared with that of classical HL, probably because of more relapses of initially inappropriately treated HL.

Adolescent↗

Mucin gene expression in intestinal epithelial cells in Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory bowel disease of unknown origin. It is characterised by chronic mucosal ulcerations which affect any part of the intestine but most commonly are found in the ileum and proximal colon. AIMS: Studies were undertaken to provide information regarding cell specific expression of mucin genes in the ileum of patients with CD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Expression of mucin genes was analysed in the ileal mucosa of patients with CD and controls by in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In healthy ileal mucosa, patients with CD showed a pattern identical to normal controls with main expression of MUC2 and MUC3, lesser expression of MUC1 and MUC4, and no expression of MUC5AC, MUC5B, MUC6, or MUC7. In the involved mucosa, the pattern was somewhat comparable although heterogeneous to that observed in healthy ileal mucosa. Importantly, a particular mucin gene expression pattern was observed in ileal mucosa close to the ulcer margins in ulcer associated cell lineage, with the appearance of MUC5AC and MUC6 mRNAs and peptides, which are normally restricted to the stomach (MUC5AC and MUC6) and duodenum (MUC6), and disappearance of MUC2. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that gel forming mucins (more particularly MUC5AC and MUC6) may have a role in epithelial wound healing after mucosal injury in inflammatory bowel diseases in addition to mucosal protection.

Adolescent↗

[Malignant solitary fibrous tumor of pleura with focal expression of cytokeratin].

Solitary fibrous tumor is a rare circumscribed neoplasm involving usually the pleura and now described in many organs and in the soft tissues with a favorable outcome when completely excised. We report herein a malignant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura occurring in a 59-year-old woman. The tumor cells strongly expressed vimentin and CD 34. In addition a weak positive staining was obtained using CD 99 and bcl 2. A disconcerting focal immunoreactivity with cytokeratin was observed. Solitary fibrous tumor is composed of loosely arranged spindle cells of variable density and may occasionally mimic malignant mesothelioma, an hemangiopericytoma or synovial sarcoma. Immunohistochemical study is helpful demonstrating a strong positivity for vimentin and CD 34 and absence of staining for epithelial markers and S-100 protein.

12E7 Antigen↗

[Respiratory bronchiolitis with diffuse interstitial lung disease].

Respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD) is a disease that exclusively affects cigarette smokers. Long-term prognosis is good with cessation of smoking, in combination or not with corticosteroid therapy. We report here the case of a 50-year-old patient with RB-IL diagnosed on lung biopsy. Despite corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide therapy, no functional or radiological improvement was obtained. In contrast, cessation of smoking was associated with the disappearance of the infiltrative opacities. Clinical and radiological parameters remained stable during follow-up (13 years) while a moderate obstructive pattern appeared.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Negative immunohistochemical detection of CD103 (alphaEbeta7 integrin) in the infiltrates of acute rejection in liver and kidney transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The infiltration of epithelium by CD8+ T lymphocytes in human renal or liver allografts is a critical feature of acute rejection. CD103 expression can be acquired in vitro by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes in response to allogeneic renal epithelial cells and promotes their adhesion to epithelium and subsequent lysis of epithelial cells. We investigated the expression of CD103 in T-cell infiltrates during acute renal or liver rejection (grade < III). METHODS: Immunohistochemical detection of CD103 in 11 liver and 10 kidney transplant biopsies with histopathological diagnosis of acute rejection. RESULTS: None of the infiltrates expressed detectable CD103, although positive controls were stained under our conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Failure to detect CD103 in renal biopsies can be related to the early posttransplantation interval (<6 months) corresponding to a first rejection episode. In our hands, immunohistological detection of CD103 was not possible in the infiltrates of acute rejection in liver or kidney transplantation.

Acute Disease↗

From normal respiratory mucosa to epidermoid carcinoma: expression of human mucin genes.

Mucous cells in the respiratory tract contribute to the maintenance of the normal epithelial cell population via mechanisms of cell proliferation and differentiation. Mucous cell hyperplasia often occurs as a basic response to injury in the tracheobronchial epithelium. These cells are also thought to be involved in the histogenesis of epidermoid metaplasia. A typical biochemical feature of these cells is mucus secretion. Aberrant glycosylation or under-glycosylation of mucins is well known in cancer; however, the specific role played by mucin genes is at present unclear. To provide information regarding the expression of these genes in squamous metaplasia and squamous cell carcinoma, we analyzed and compared the expression of MUC1-MUC7 genes by in situ hybridization in control respiratory mucosa and lesions associated with neoplasia (hyperplasia, metaplasia and dysplasia) and squamous cell carcinomas. MUC4 was expressed independently of mucus secretion since it was expressed weakly by basal cells and probably by ciliated cells as well as collecting ducts, epidermoid metaplasia with complete squamous cell differentiation, and most of epidermoid carcinomas even well differentiated and keratinized. In squamous metaplasia and dysplasia, MUC4 gene expression was diffuse and less intense than in normal epithelium. MUC5AC was overexpressed in dysplasia as well as in mucous cell and basal cell hyperplasia and undetectable when squamous differentiation was achieved.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Immunomodulatory effect of pentoxifylline during human allograft rejection: involvement of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and adhesion molecules.

BACKGROUND: Pentoxifylline (PTX), a methylxanthine phosphodiesterase inhibitor, is poorly active as an immunosuppressant but prevents the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines. In a randomized double-blind study comparing PTX versus placebo in 140 patients receiving cadaveric kidney grafts under cyclosporine and prednisone, we have shown that PTX weakened the consequences of rejection on graft survival. To assess the mechanism underlying the beneficial effect recorded during this trial, we analyzed the impact of PTX on tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) production and expression of cell adhesion molecules. METHODS: Plasma levels of TNF-alpha and its soluble receptors (sTNF-RI, sTNF-RII) and of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) were monitored over the 6 months postgraft period when PTX or placebo were administered. Expression of VCAM-1 and intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 was scored by immunohistochemical staining of biopsy specimens from patients who underwent rejection crisis. Lymphocyte subset composition was analyzed longitudinally during cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. RESULTS: Plasma TNF-alpha levels were significantly reduced in the PTX-treated group over the 6 months of administration, and specifically during isolated rejection episodes and during CMV infections. Plasma levels of sTNFR-I, sTNFR-II, and sVCAM-1 did not differ between the two groups of patients, but a decrease in renal tubular VCAM-1 expression was observed in the PTX group. During CMV infections, CD8 lymphocytosis and expansion of CD57+ (CD28-) CD8+ T cells were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: The data collected during this double-blind study point to an immunomodulatory role of PTX, the beneficial effect on graft survival resulting from a restraining effect of the drug on the inflammatory conditions involved in acute graft rejection.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Nodular granulomatous Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in a bone marrow transplant recipient. Case report.

We report a case of nodular granulomatous Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia following bone marrow transplantation. The patient was a 40-year-old man who had undergone bone marrow transplantation for myeloblastic acute leukemia. He presented with fever, dyspnea and bilateral diffuse nodular infiltration of the lungs. Bronchoalveolar lavage was negative. Open lung biopsy was performed. Histological examination revealed a granulomatous reaction with central necrosis surrounded by epithelioid and giant cells. Toluidine blue and Gomori-Grocott stains identified a few P. carinii. Mycobacterial and fungal cultures were negative. A granulomatous reaction is rarely observed and almost only in HIV-infected patients. To our knowledge this is the first description in a bone marrow transplant recipient.

Adult↗

Utility of cytokeratin 7 for distinguishing chromophobe renal cell carcinoma from renal oncocytoma.

OBJECTIVE: Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma is a relatively uncommon variant of renal carcinoma described in 1985. The main differential diagnosis is renal oncocytoma. Hale's colloidal iron staining is a powerful adjunct to morphological interpretation but it is not specific and is sometimes difficult to interpret. We studied the immunohistochemical expression of cytokeratin 7 to determine its value in distinguishing chromophobe renal cell carcinoma from renal oncocytoma. METHODS: Immunostaining was performed on paraffin-embedded tumor tissue of 6 chromophobe renal cell carcinomas and 11 oncocytomas with an antibody to cytokeratin 7 (clone OV-TL 12/30, Dako, France) using a streptavidin-biotin method. RESULTS: All chromophobe renal cell carcinomas showed strong cytoplasmic staining with peripheral cell accentuation. In contrast, 8 of 11 oncocytomas were entirely negative and 3 showed only weak and focal staining in less than 5% of the tumor cells. CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin 7 may be useful for the differential diagnosis of renal oncocytomas and chromophobe renal cell carcinomas when Hale's colloidal iron staining is uncertain.

Adenocarcinoma↗