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P Quaglino

Publications and source records attributed to P Quaglino.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The CD40/CD40 ligand system is expressed in the cutaneous lesions of erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis spectrum.

BACKGROUND: Erythema multiforme (EM) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are determined by a dysregulation of cellular immunity. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effector role of cellular immunity and the involvement of the CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) system in the pathogenesis of EM and SJS/TEN. METHODS: Biopsy specimens from eight patients with EM and six with SJS/TEN were stained for immunohistochemical examination using the alkaline phosphatase/antialkaline phosphatase method. The monoclonal antibodies used included those to CD1a, CD4, CD8, CD40, CD40L, CD68, Fas, Fas ligand (FasL) and myeloperoxidase. RESULTS: The cellular infiltrate in both EM and SJS/TEN lesions was composed mainly of T lymphocytes and CD68+ macrophages. We also detected large amounts of neutrophils. Fas and FasL were very highly expressed in SJS and TEN, but weakly in EM. CD40 staining was strong in all tissue sections; there were numerous CD40L+ cells in SJS/TEN but much fewer in EM. CONCLUSIONS: Activated T lymphocytes and macrophages, but also neutrophils, are presumably the main triggers of mucocutaneous damage in the SJS/TEN disease spectrum. The Fas/FasL system is significantly expressed in SJS/TEN lesions, but not in EM, where this apoptotic pathway presumably does not play a pivotal role in the epidermal damage. We suggest that the CD40/CD40L system may represent an important pathway of induction of SJS/TEN lesions, while in EM it would contribute to the immunoinflammation only as a second-line mechanism.

Adult↗

Expression of cytokines and chemokine receptors in the cutaneous lesions of erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis.

BACKGROUND: Erythema multiforme (EM) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) are caused by a dysregulation of cellular immunity. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate further the potential role of certain cytokines and chemokine receptors in cutaneous lesions of patients affected by EM and SJS/TEN and to establish whether such diseases are polarized preferentially towards a T-helper (Th) 1 or Th2 pattern. METHODS: Biopsy specimens from eight patients with EM, six with SJS/TEN and three healthy controls were stained for immunohistochemical examination using the alkaline phosphatase-antialkaline phosphatase method. The monoclonal antibodies used included those to tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-5, IL-13, receptor 3 for C-C chemokines (CCR3), receptor 3 for C-x-C chemokines (CXCR3) and CXCR4. RESULTS: The SJS/TEN specimens showed significantly higher expression of all the cytokines and chemokine receptors (except CXCR3) tested than the EM specimens. Both lesional series showed significantly higher expression of all the receptors tested than the healthy control specimens, with the sole exception of a lower expression of CCR3 in EM specimens. Comparison between molecules associated with a Th1 or Th2 response revealed a predominance of Th1 response in EM and no significant imbalance between Th1 and Th2 in SJS/TEN. CONCLUSIONS: We have provided further evidence that TNF-alpha is strongly expressed in SJS/TEN lesions and therefore it may be involved in the epidermal necrosis featured in such diseases. IFN-gamma may play an important role both in EM and SJS/TEN. IL-2, IL-5 and IL-13 may contribute to the cutaneous immunoinflammation in these diseases. Chemokine receptors may be involved strongly in the recruitment of inflammatory cells in lesional skin. In our cases we found a sharp polarization towards a Th1 pattern in EM, while the SJS/TEN lesions showed a mixed Th1/Th2 pattern.

Adult↗

T-cell receptor gamma gene rearrangement by multiplex polymerase chain reaction/heteroduplex analysis in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome) and benign inflammatory disease: correlation with clinical, histological and immunophenotypical findings.

BACKGROUND: A dominant T-cell clone can be detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 40-90% of cutaneous samples from patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1996 to 2003 we analysed 547 cutaneous biopsies performed to exclude CTCL (mycosis fungoides, MF/Sézary syndrome, SS). The final diagnosis was benign inflammatory disease (BID) in 353 samples (64.5%) and CTCL in 194 (35.5%). T-cell receptor (TCR)-gamma gene rearrangement was studied by using a multiplex PCR/heteroduplex (HD) analysis. The PCR results were correlated with the clinical picture, the histological pattern and the presence of T-cell lineage antigen loss, using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. OBJECTIVE: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the multiplex PCR/HD analysis and to identify which are the clinical, histopathological or immunophenotypical features significantly associated with a positive T-cell clonality. RESULTS: A clonality was demonstrated in 83.5% of CTCL and in 2.3% of BID (P < 0.001). A significantly higher percentage of clonal cases was associated with the cutaneous T-score (71.4% in T1, 76.1% in T2 and 100% in nodular and erythrodermic MF samples) and with the presence of a T-cell lineage antigen loss (93.9% vs. 77.4%). Moreover, clonality was closely related to an increase in the histopathological score (51.3% in the samples with a score < 5, compared with 92% in the lesions with > or = 5). No significant difference in the percentage of clonal cases was found between T1/T2 and T3/T4 lesions with a histopathological score > or = 5. The multivariate logistic regression showed that the density and extent of the cell infiltrate, the degree of epidermotropism and the presence of cytological atypia share an independent predictive value for clonality in T1/T2 samples, even if the highest odds ratios (3.6) were associated with the density of the cell infiltrate. The disease course of T1/T2 patients was analysed according to the PCR findings. All the PCR-negative patients showed a long-standing stable disease course; on the other hand, a disease progression occurred in 12/87 (13.8%) positive patients. CONCLUSIONS: The multiplex PCR/HD analysis is associated with a high diagnostic accuracy (92.7%) in CTCL patients. The finding of a clonal T-cell rearrangement is more closely associated with the histological pattern (in particular with the density and extent of the cell infiltrate) rather than with the MF cutaneous T-score or immunophenotype.

CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗

Disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma associated with idiopathic CD4+ lymphocytopenia and low dose steroid therapy.

A case of disseminated Kaposi sarcoma in a 76-year-old woman treated with low-dose steroids for a seronegative polyarthritis is described. HIV serology was negative, whereas PCR for HHV-8 was positive. The patient presented with a profound reduction in the peripheral blood CD4+ cell count and a decrease in serum immunoglobulins and was diagnosed as having idiopathic CD4+ lymphocytopenia. The clinical picture was characterized by limited cutaneous lesions with typical features of KS associated with widespread visceral involvement and unusually aggressive behaviour.

Aged↗

Treatment of advanced mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome with fludarabine and potential adjunctive benefit to subsequent extracorporeal photochemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Purine analogues [fludarabine monophosphate (FAMP); deoxycoformycin and 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine) and extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP) have been suggested to be active agents in advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) patients. OBJECTIVES: To explore further the clinical efficacy and safety of FAMP monochemotherapy in advanced CTCL and to evaluate if the sequential association of ECP to FAMP in selected patients may improve the response rate (RR) and/or lengthen the remission duration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-four CTCL patients [17 Sézary syndrome (SS); 26 mycosis fungoides (MF), stage IIB-IV or with peripheral blood involvement; one MF associated with lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP)] were enrolled in this pilot cohort study. All the patients received FAMP 25 mg m(-2) 5 days monthly; 19 patients (43.2%) underwent ECP after FAMP was discontinued. The majority of patients with erythrodermic CTCL or peripheral blood involvement underwent the combined FAMP-ECP schedule. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 4.2 years, the overall FAMP RR was 29.5% (13/44); a higher RR was obtained in SS (35.3%) than in MF patients (25.9%). According to the treatment group, the RR of the FAMP-ECP group (63.2%) was significantly higher than that of the FAMP monotherapy group (24%; P=0.021). No statistically significant difference was found in time-to-progression (TTP) or survival by therapy group, even if the TTP of the patients treated with the FAMP-ECP combination therapy was higher (median 13 vs. 7 months). A decrease or a normalization in the CD4+CD26- circulating subset was observed in responding patients, paralleling the reduction in the circulating Sézary cells. CONCLUSIONS: FAMP confirms its clinical activity as a single agent in SS; conversely, FAMP results do not compare favourably with other therapeutic approaches for advanced stage MF patients. The sequential association of ECP after FAMP seems to increase the RR, even if future randomized studies are needed to confirm these results.

Adult↗

Tyrosinase expression in the peripheral blood of stage III melanoma patients is associated with a poor prognosis: a clinical follow-up study of 110 patients.

The aim of this study is to define the relationship between the tyrosinase expression in the peripheral blood and the clinical course of the disease in stage III disease-free melanoma patients after radical lymph node dissection. RT-PCR techniques were used to identify tyrosinase mRNA in 110 patients; a total of 542 blood samples were investigated. In all, 54 patients (49%) showed at least one positive result; 13 patients (11.8%) showed baseline positive results: six became negative thereafter, whereas seven showed follow-up positive results until disease progression occurred. One or more positive determinations were found during follow-up in 41 patients with negative baseline tyrosinase. No correlation was found between baseline results and the relapse rate or disease-free survival (DFS), whereas a significant correlation was found between positive tyrosinase results and disease recurrence during follow-up. In fact, 72.9% of positive patients relapsed, but only 19.3% of negative cases did so. The median interval between the positive results and the clinical demonstration of the relapse was 1.9 months (range 1-6.6). Disease-free survival multivariate analysis selected, as independent variables, Breslow thickness (P=0.05), lymph node involvement according to the AJCC classification (P=0.05) and tyrosinase expression (P=0.0001). In conclusion, RT-PCR tyrosinase mRNA expression is a reliable and reproducible marker associated with a high risk of melanoma progression and we encourage its clinical use in routine follow-up.

Adult↗

Dermatomyositis in 132 patients with different clinical subtypes: cutaneous signs, constitutional symptoms and circulating antibodies.

We retrospectively studied 132 patients with dermatomyositis; 84 had idiopathic, 30 paraneoplastic, 5 juvenile and 13 amyopathic forms of the disease. The commonest features were macular erythema, heliotropic erythema and Gottron's papules. Flagellate erythema occurred in 5% of patients with idiopathic dermatomyositis and correlated with the disease activity. Necrotic lesions were also found in this group of patients but did not always signal malignancy. The prevalence of malignancy was high (23%). Raynaud's phenomenon occurred in 10.6% of patients, also in those with malignancy. Dysphagia, interstitial lung disease and arthralgias affected 20%, 8% and 40% of patients, respectively. Anti-Jo-1 antibodies were found in 5% of patients with idiopathic dermatomyositis and low titre ANA in 1/3 of patients. ANA did not correlate with the disease activity. We confirmed the data from the literature, but no cutaneous sign, constitutional symptom or circulating antibody was found marking a particular subtype of the disease.

Adolescent↗

VEGF-165 serum levels and tyrosinase expression in melanoma patients: correlation with the clinical course.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to play a crucial role in the growth and metastatization of solid tumours. In cancer patients, high VEGF serum levels correlate with tumour status and prognosis, but to date few data have been reported concerning VEGF in melanoma patients. In the present study, immunoenzymatic and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques were used to detect VEGF-165 serum levels and the presence of tyrosinase mRNA, respectively, in the peripheral blood of a cohort of 155 melanoma patients at different clinical stages (30 stage I, 40 stage II, 40 stage III and 45 stage IV; AJCC classification). Data were compared with both the extent of the disease and the clinical course. The aim was to assess the relationship between VEGF serum levels, the presence of detectable circulating melanoma cells and melanoma progression. A significant increase in VEGF serum levels was found in melanoma patients, in particular in those with metastatic disease; a higher incidence of relapses was found in stage I-III disease-free patients who showed an increase in VEGF during follow-up. VEGF serum levels were significantly higher in patients with detectable circulating melanoma cells than in those with negative tyrosinase mRNA expression. The finding of both an increase in VEGF and the presence of detectable melanoma cells during follow-up was associated with a relapse rate of 81%. The relapse rate was significantly lower when either of the two parameters were present separately. Multivariate analysis of both overall survival and time-to-progression selected baseline tyrosinase expression in peripheral blood but not VEGF serum levels as an independent prognostic factor.

Adult↗

CD45RA+ immunophenotype in mycosis fungoides: clinical, histological and immunophenotypical features in 22 patients.

BACKGROUND: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) usually characterized by a T-helper memory phenotype (CD3+, CD4+, CD8-, CD45R0+). Aberrant phenotypes are more commonly seen in the tumor stages. CD45RA expression has so far been documented in only a few cases of CD8+ or TCR gamma delta+ CTCL and in some pagetoid reticulosis cases. METHODS: Two hundred and fifteen MF patients were immunophenotyped in our laboratory between January 1992 and June 2000 and 22 cases of CD45RA+ MF (8.7%) were identified by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: The majority of these CD45RA+ patients (20/22) showed a patch-plaque stage disease and an indolent clinical course, as expected in early-stage MF. The remaining 2 patients presented with stage IIB and IVA MF, and were characterized by an aggressive clinical course, with systemic spread. The immunohistochemical analysis revealed that CD45RA+ neoplastic cells belonged to the memory compartment, displaying a CD62L-, CD11a+, CD29+ phenotype. Most patients showed aberrant phenotypes, with a loss of T-cell lineage markers and expression of cytotoxic molecules or gamma-delta chain of the T-cell receptor. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that CD45RA+ MF is a rare variant of CTCL and shares with the classic MF cases both the clinical features and disease course, even if it is characterized by a higher incidence of immunopathological abnormalities.

Adult↗

The relevance of the CD4+ CD26- subset in the identification of circulating Sézary cells.

BACKGROUND: The lack of specific markers for the phenotyping of circulating neoplastic T cells in Sézary syndrome (SS) patients makes it difficult both to ascertain the presence of clonal cells and to quantify the tumour burden in the peripheral blood. In previous reports we showed that the lack of CD26 (dipeptidyl-aminopeptidase IV) is a characteristic feature of circulating Sézary cells (SC). OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to ascertain, by means of high-resolution two-, three- or four-parameter flow cytometry, the relationship between CD26 expression on peripheral blood lymphocytes and peripheral blood involvement in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients and to assess its significance in SS diagnosis. METHODS: The patient population included 52 SS patients, 151 mycosis fungoides (MF) patients at different clinical stages (including 14 with blood involvement, B1-MF), 88 patients with erythrodermic inflammatory skin diseases (EISD) and 72 healthy donors (HD). CD26+ values were available in all cases, whereas CD4+ CD26- level measurement was performed in 23 SS, 141 MF, 71 EISD and 72 HD. RESULTS: CD4+ CD26- percentage values were higher than 30% in all but one B1-MF and higher than 40% in all SS cases, whereas HD, EISD and B0-MF patient values were always lower than 30%. A statistically significant difference was found in both CD26- and CD4+ CD26- percentage and absolute values between SS and HD, EISD and B0-MF patients. The CD26- and CD4+ CD26- percentage values (but not the absolute values) were significantly higher in B1-MF compared with HD, EISD and B0-MF patients (P < 0.001). Moreover, CD26- absolute values and CD4+ CD26- percentage and absolute values were significantly higher in SS than in B1-MF (P < 0.001). A statistically significant direct relationship was found between CD4+ CD26- percentage values and the percentage of circulating SC within the lymphoid population in SS and B1-MF (r = 0.77; P < 0.001). The lack of CD26 was confirmed on phenotypically clonal cells in patients with an expanded circulating TCRvbeta population or a T-cell antigen loss. Sorted CD4+ CD26- cells from both SS patients and HD showed the characteristic cerebriform nuclei of SC. CONCLUSIONS: We feel that a CD4+ CD26- percentage value higher than 30% of peripheral blood lymphocytes could correctly identify the presence of peripheral blood involvement in SS and MF patients.

Adult↗

Expression of apoptosis markers on peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma during extracorporeal photochemotherapy.

The mechanisms of extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ExP) therapeutic activity in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are not yet well understood, even though it has been suggested that a major mechanism may be induction of apoptosis. In vitro studies demonstrate that UVA-induced apoptosis is mediated by CD95-Fas expression and inhibited by Bcl-2 up-regulation and that UVA irradiation is able to down-regulate Bcl-2 expression. High-resolution multiparameter flow-cytometric analyses were used to evaluate Bcl-2/CD95-Fas expression on phenotypically identifiable circulating clonal T cells from 7 patients with CTCL (4 with Sézary syndrome and 3 with mycosis fungoides with peripheral involvement) before and during ExP, in an attempt to ascertain whether Bcl-2/CD95-Fas status can be related to the hematologic response. A Bcl-2 normal phenotype before ExP or a normalization in Bcl-2 expression during ExP were related to a better clinical response, whereas a persistent Bcl-2 high expression was a negative prognostic factor. On the other hand, no response was found in patients with a CD95-Fas-negative phenotype, whereas the expression of CD95-Fas was associated with hematologic remission. Although further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results, this study suggests that Bcl-2 and CD95-Fas expression could be evaluated, together with the other known clinical and immunologic factors, as additional parameters related to clinical response in patients with CTCL undergoing ExP.

Adult↗

In vitro effects of cholesteryl butyrate solid lipid nanospheres as a butyric acid pro-drug on melanoma cells: evaluation of antiproliferative activity and apoptosis induction.

Literature data show that butyric acid derivatives bear a dose-dependent differentiative anti-proliferative activity on cancer cell lines and that apoptosis induction may play a major role. Although it was recently shown that solid lipid nanospheres (SLNs) are a suitable tool for several in vivo drug administration routes, there is little available information on melanoma cell lines. This study was aimed at evaluating the anti-proliferative and apoptotic in vitro effects of cholesteryl butyrate (chol-but) SLNs on melanoma cells. Increasing concentrations of chol-but SLNs were used to test two melanoma cell lines. Both cell lines were treated with Na-butyrate (Na-but) and chol-but SLNs for viability. Those tested with chol-but SLNs were more effective than Na-butirate (3 to 72 h). The apoptotic effects of chol-but SLNs were evaluated between 3 and 72 h by annexin-V (ANX-V)/propidium iodide (PI) staining and the antiproliferative effect by PI staining. Apoptosis anti-proliferative-regulatory proteins as bcl-2, Fas/APO1 (CD95) and PCNA (PC10) were also investigated. Flow cytometric analyses evidenced a G(0/1)-S transition block and a 'sub-G(0/1)' apoptotic peak from 0.5 to 1.0 mM butyric acid. In ANX-V/PI flow cytometric staining, a dose- and time-dependent increase in the apoptotic cell percentage (ANX-V+) coupled with a down-regulation of PC10 and bcl-2 and a parallel up-regulation of Fas/APO1 (CD95) were found in both lines started after 3 to 24 h of chol-but SLNs treatment. Results show that chol-but SLNs exerts a dose/time-dependent effect in melanoma cell apoptosis induction between 3 and 24 h and a dose but not time-dependent effect after 24 h of treatment.

Annexin A5↗

Role of RT-PCR tyrosinase detection in the monitoring of patients with advanced metastatic melanoma.

In recent studies a new method has been proposed to detect circulating melanoma cells in the peripheral blood of patients, based on the amplification of the mRNA for tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in melanin biosynthesis that is expressed only by melanocytic cells. The sensitivity and clinical relevance of this method are still controversial. In the present study, 596 blood samples from 186 melanoma patients at various clinical tumour stages, together with samples from 25 healthy volunteers, were analysed with the aim of investigating the value of tyrosinase detection in predicting melanoma recurrence. We suggest a possible role for this marker in the monitoring of melanoma patients after the excision of regional lymph node metastases, and provide evidence that tyrosinase is related to the status of disease in advanced metastatic patients. Moreover, chemotherapy administration appeared to influence tyrosinase determination and may explain the discrepancies in the reported percentages of positive samples.

Adult↗

Macrophage-mediated immunostimulation modulates therapeutic efficacy of interleukin-2 based chemoimmunotherapy in advanced metastatic melanoma patients.

The biological mechanisms of chemoimmunotherapy efficacy in vivo have not been fully clarified; furthermore, few data are available to predict its efficacy on the basis of clinical and immunological pretreatment factors. In this paper, pre- and post-treatment serum levels of cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-10, IL-12 and neopterin) and soluble IL-2 receptors (sIL-2R), as well as circulating levels of T-cell and NK subpopulations, were analysed according to clinical outcome in 66 advanced metastatic melanoma (MM) patients treated with subcutaneous IL-2 in association with interferon-alpha, cisplatin and tamoxifen. Our purpose was to correlate the immune modifications during treatment with the clinical response and to define pretreatment factors with predictive value for clinical outcome. The overall response rate was 35%, with a median overall survival of 11.3 months. During treatment, responding patients showed a common marked increase in IL-12 (mainly released by activated macrophages), sIL-2R and neopterin serum levels, associated with high levels of total lymphocytes and circulating natural killer lymphocytes; progressing patients were characterized by an increase in IL-6 serum levels (directly related to the increase in tumour burden). Multivariate analysis showed that high pretreatment IL-12 levels (P = 0.05) and, to a lesser extent, lactate dehydrogenase levels in the normal range (< or = 450 U/I; P = 0.061) are independent favourable prognostic factors for survival. Our results show that macrophage activation in an immunostimulating way either before or during treatment is associated with a better clinical response and improved survival in advanced MM patients treated with IL-2-based chemoimmunotherapy.

Adult↗

Mycosis fungoides in patients under 20 years of age: report of 7 cases, review of the literature and study of the clinical course.

BACKGROUND: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is rare in young patients. Its clinical behavior is still uncertain, as some reports have suggested that it has a more aggressive course than does the adult-onset type. AIM: To ascertain if early-onset MF represents a heterogeneous group of cutaneous T cell lymphomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical, immunohistopathological and follow-up data of early-onset (<20 years of age) MF cases reported in the literature (n = 42) plus 7 described herein were compared with those of a cohort of adult-onset MF patients (n = 252) diagnosed at our institution since 1975. RESULTS: The majority of the 49 early-onset MF patients had patch-plaque stage disease at diagnosis. Ten had hypopigmented lesions. The predominant phenotype was CD3+ CD4+CD7-CD8-. Seven patients had a stage progression, 6 with extracutaneous involvement. Five- and 10-year survival rates were 93 and 74%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: No statistically significant differences were found in the disease course between early- and adult-onset MF.

Adolescent↗

Prognostic factors in Sézary syndrome: a multivariate analysis of clinical, haematological and immunological features.

BACKGROUND: Sézary syndrome (SS) prognostic factors are not well defined because of the rarity of this disease. The specific goal of this prospective study was to assess by multivariate analysis the predictive value with respect to survival of a series of clinical, haematological and immunological parameters taken at SS diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cohort of 62 SS patients diagnosed and followed since 1975 was examined, and 51 were included in the multivariate analysis model. RESULTS: The median survival time was 31 months (range: 1 month-15.7+ years), and the five-year survival rate 33.5%. The following variables were found by univariate analysis to be associated with a poor prognosis at the time of SS diagnosis: previous history of mycosis fungoides (P = 0.013), high number of circulating leukocytes (P = 0.001), Sézary cells (SC) (P < 0.001) and CD4+ cells (P < 0.001), presence of large circulating SC (P < 0.001), above normal range LDH serum levels (P = 0.015), presence of PAS-positive inclusions in the cytoplasm of circulating SC (P < 0.001), high CD4/CD8 ratio (P = 0.004) and a CD7 negative circulating SC phenotype (P < 0.001). Among them, the stepwise multivariate analysis selected as adverse independent prognostic factors: PAS-positive cytoplasmic inclusions (P = 0.001), CD7 negative phenotype (P = 0.018) and presence of large circulating SC (P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Two low-/high-risk groups have been singled out on the basis of the risk index. Patients with no or one adverse prognostic feature(s) (risk index < or = 1; n = 31) share a slow disease course and a relatively favorable prognosis (five-year survival: 58%); on the other hand, patients with 2 or 3 adverse prognostic feature (risk index > 1; n = 20) are characterized by an aggressive disease course not modifiable by traditional therapies (five-year survival: 5%).

Adult↗

Immunohistologic findings and adhesion molecule pattern in primary pure cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease with xanthomatous features.

Skin involvement is common in sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SH, Rosai-Dorfman disease), but pure cutaneous cases are rare. A 70-year-old woman presented with a 10-year history of large red-orange nodules and plaques on her upper arms, face, and buttocks, without evidence of lymphadenopathy or internal involvement. Distinctive histopathologic differences were observed according to the duration of the lesions. In recent lesions, the dermal infiltrate was mostly composed of sheets of characteristic SH cells; on the other hand, in long-lasting lesions, the presence of xanthomatous changes and prominent fibrosis, in keeping with the self-limited nature of this disease, raises problems of differential diagnosis with other xanthohistiocytic disorders. Immunophenotypic studies showed that the SH cells are S-100+ CD1a negative-activated macrophages, capable of lysosomal activity. The adhesion molecule pattern of SH cells (CD11b+, CD11c+, CD18+, CD62L+, and CD103+) was similar to that of circulating monocytes, suggesting their recent migration from the bloodstream.

Aged↗