Biomedical subjects

Sheng-Lan Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Sheng-Lan Wang.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase and cyclin-D1 in olfactory neuroblastoma.

Olfactory neuroblastoma is an uncommon neoplasm. Typically, these tumors are indolent with long-standing symptomatology, but the fact that the lesions are indeed malignant has been proven by the repeated demonstration that they can metastasize to distant organs. Suitable prognostic factors are lacking and therapeutic strategy still remains controversial. Expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is associated with most human malignancies and high levels have been correlated with poor prognosis in many cancers. In comparison, overexpression of cyclin-D1 occurs in several malignancies and has been associated with aggressive tumor behavior and poorer prognosis. In this study, we collected 16 olfactory neuroblastomas from the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital. The aim was to investigate the value of immunoexpression of hTERT and cyclin-D1 in correlation with clinicopathologic features of olfactory neuroblastoma. Low and high cyclin-D1 expression was found in 6 and 10 cases, respectively. For hTERT, low and high protein expression was detected in 5 and 11 tumors, respectively. Cyclin-D1 expression was not correlated with selected parameters. However, high hTERT expression was significantly correlated with high Kadish stage. In conclusion, high hTERT expression can be considered a potential indicator of aggressive olfactory neuroblastoma.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed2006

A simple and economical method for the manual construction of well-aligned tissue arrays.

Tissue array technology has allowed a substantial progression of studies correlating molecular and immunohistochemical findings with clinico-pathological information. Array construction presents technical difficulties and tissue arrayers are expensive, particularly for small and medium sized laboratories. We describe a simple manual method for producing well-aligned tissue arrays using a hand-made paper mold which can successfully perform immunohistochemical staining. All 200 tissue samples were collected and constructed into blocks by the paper mold. The tissue arrays were smoothly sectioned using a standard microtome and performed for a panel of immunohistochemical study with satisfactory results. This alterative method for building custom arrays could be applied in any laboratory and is both simple and economical.

Humans↗

PubMed2005

Encapsulated columnar-cell carcinoma of the thyroid: a case report.

Columnar-cell carcinoma is a rare form of papillary thyroid carcinoma. It is a biologically aggressive variant, according to the World Health Organization classification, due to its rapid growth, high local recurrence rate, and frequent lung, brain, and bone metastases. However, recent reports indicate encapsulated tumors confined to the thyroid gland are associated with a more favorable prognosis. We report a case of encapsulated columnar-cell carcinoma occurring in the right lobe of the thyroid in a 25-year-old female and discuss the histopathologic features, differential diagnosis, and prognostic factors.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Compurerized morphometric study of thyroid follicular carcinoma in correlation with known prognostic factors.

This study investigates the correlation between computer-assisted nuclear morphometry and known prognostic factors in thyroid follicular carcinoma. Thirty-six patients with thyroid follicular carcinoma who underwent surgery between 1991 and 2001 were grouped according to sex, age, size of the primary lesion, the presence of vascular invasion, and metastases. Four nuclear parameters were measured and analyzed: mean nuclear area, mean nuclear perimeter, largest to smallest diameter ratio of the nuclei, and coefficient of variation of the nuclear area. Our results indicated that none of the chosen nuclear variables were significantly correlated with the prognostic factors studied. In conclusion, nuclear morphometry does not seem to correlate with known prognostic factors and cannot serve as an additional predicting factor for biologic behavior.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗

PubMed2005

Computerized nuclear morphometry in thyroid follicular neoplasms.

Differential diagnosis of follicular adenoma (FA) and follicular carcinoma (FC) of the thyroid can be challenging in the routine practice of surgical pathology because the diagnosis of FC is strictly defined and identification depends on the presence of invasion of the capsule or blood vessels. These features may be equivocally presented in the histological sections and interpreted subjectively by different pathologists, so an objective approach to solve this problem is essential. Computerized morphometry is a scientific tool to evaluate cellular changes and it can enhance the interpretation of morphological features by the transformation of pathological changes in cells to a qualitative form. The present study investigated the diagnostic role of objective computerized nuclear morphometry in follicular neoplasms. Thirty-six cases of thyroid FC and 36 cases of FA from patients who were matched by age and sex were studied. Four nuclear parameters were selected and analyzed: mean nuclear area, mean nuclear perimeter, largest to smallest diameter ratio of the nuclei, and coefficient of variation of the nuclear area. The results indicate that all the chosen nuclear variables were significantly correlated with the FA and FC studied. In conclusion, computerized nuclear morphometry can be considered a helpful ancillary tool for differential diagnosis of FA and FC.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗

PubMed2005

Expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase in thyroid follicular neoplasms: an immunohistochemical study.

Differential diagnosis of follicular adenoma (FA) and follicular carcinoma (FC) of the thyroid can be difficult in the routine practice of surgical pathology because the diagnosis of FC is strictly defined and determined by the presence of capsular and/or vascular invasion by the tumor. These features may be equivocal in the histologic sections. On the other hand, telomerase is expressed in many human cancers and is thought to contribute to their immortality. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is the major determinant of human telomerase activity, and its expression is suggestive of capacity for unlimited replication. This case-control study examined the expression of hTERT using immunohistochemistry in 36 thyroid FC and 36 FA from patients who were matched by age and sex. The aim was to investigate the value of immunohistochemical staining for hTERT in the differential diagnosis of follicular neoplasms. The results revealed 23 cases of FC and 14 cases of FA that showed high expression of hTERT, with moderate to strong immunoreactivity. The remaining cases showed weak or negative staining. The difference between FA and FC was statistically significant (p < 0.05). In conclusion, immunohistochemical staining for hTERT can be considered an ancillary marker for differential diagnosis of FA and FC.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗

PubMed2004

[Maternal serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentration and correlation with insulin resistance in gestational diabetes].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate serum concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and its correlation with insulin resistance in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the fasting serum TNF-alpha levels of 42 women with GDM (28 approximately 39 gestational weeks), and 40 cases of normal pregnant women in the third trimester. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were also measured at the same time. Insulin sensitive index (ISI) was calculated. RESULTS: (1) Significantly elevated serum TNF-alpha was found in the women with GDM (5.2 +/- 1.6) ng/L as compared with the healthy pregnant women in third trimester (4.5 +/- 0.5) ng/L (P < 0.01); ISI between the two groups was significantly different, (-4.3 +/- 0.5) and (...3.8 +/- 0.3) (P < 0.01). (2) fasting plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, HbA1c in GDM group were (5.5 +/- 0.7) mmol/L, (13.4 +/- 3.8) mU/L, (1.6 +/- 0.4) nmol/L, (5.6 +/- 0.5)%, being significantly higher than those in the normal pregnant women (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). (3) Significant negative linear correlation was revealed between TNF-alpha and ISI (r = -0.703, P < 0.01), and positive linear correlations between TNF-alpha and plasma glucose, C-peptide, and HbA1c were found (r = 0.512, 0.629, 0.386); but no correlation between TNF-alpha and insulin was found in GDM group. In normal group the correlation between ISI and TNF-alpha was also found (r = -0.390, P < 0.05), but less significant than that in the GDM group. CONCLUSIONS: Fasting plasma TNF-alpha levels in pregnant women with GDM is significantly higher than in normal pregnant women. A negative relationship between TNF-alpha and insulin sensitivity index is found in GDM, suggesting increased TNF-alpha may contribute to insulin resistance in pregnant women with gestational diabetes.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

[Construction of efficient conjugal plasmids between Escherichia coli and Streptomycetes].

Conjugal plasmid pGH112 has been developed based on the replicons of Streptomyces coelicolor plasmid SCP2 and E. coli ColE. The plasmid contains ampicilin resistance gene(amp) for selection in E. coli and thiostrepton resistance gene (tsr) for selection in Streptomycetes, and a 0.76 kb oriT fragment of (IncP) RK2. Conjugal transfer of pGH112 was performed from E. coli to S. coelicolor A3(2), S. avermitilis, S. lividans TK54, S. toxytricini NNRL15443, S. venezuelae ISP5230 and Sacc. erythraea by conjugation, results show that the plasmid was able to transfer efficenctly from E. coli to Streptomycetes, was stably inherited in the recipients. pGH113 was constructed from pGH112 by combining the constitutive ermE promoter with green fluorescent protein gene(gfp).

Ampicillin Resistance↗

PubMed2003

Intra-abdominal desmoplastic small round cell tumor with elevated serum CA 125: a case report.

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare and highly aggressive tumor usually involving the peritoneum. It occurs more commonly in young males and is characterized by distinctive clinical, histologic, and immunophenotypic features. The histogenesis of DSRCT remains unknown. Coexpression of epithelial, mesenchymal, and neural antigens in the same cell provides evidence that DSRCT may arise from a primitive pluripotent stem cell with divergent differentiation. Recently, according to cytogenetic studies, some authors have proposed that the divergent differentiation of DSRCT may be the result of the fusion of Ewing's sarcoma gene and Wilms' tumor suppressor gene. Clinically, an elevated serum CA 125 concentration is found in some patients with DSRCT. We present the case of a 29-year-old man with diffuse intra-abdominal DSRCT and elevated serum CA 125 concentration and briefly review the relevant literature.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

PubMed2002

Darier's disease associated with bipolar affective disorder: a case report.

Darier's disease, also known as keratosis follicularis, is an uncommon autosomal dominant disorder that may also occur as a sporadic mutation. It is characterized by multiple eruptions of hyperkeratotic or crusted papules at seborrheic areas with histologic acantholysis and dyskeratosis. It usually begins in the first or second decade of life and is equally prevalent in men and women. Darier's disease is caused by mutations in the ATP2A2 gene, which maps to chromosome 12q23-q24.1 and encodes the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA2). The co-occurrence of various neurologic and psychiatric diseases with Darier's disease has been reported, including mood disorders, epilepsy, mental retardation, slowly progressive encephalopathy, and schizophrenia. Linkage studies using the association between these disorders and Darier's disease to determine the gene locus of these psychiatric disorders inferred the presence of a bipolar susceptibility gene on chromosome 12q23-q24.1 in the region of the Darier's disease gene (DAR). We report a case of Darier's disease of more than 40 years' duration and bipolar I disorder of 30 years' duration in a 52-year-old man, and provide a brief review of the literature.

Bipolar Disorder↗

PubMed2002

Retroperitoneal leiomyomas: a rare tumor of the pelvis.

Retroperitoneal leiomyomas are extremely rare and have a good prognosis. Long-term follow-up reveals no metastasis but local recurrences do occur. These tumors, like uterine leiomyomas, are frequently accompanied by hyaline or myxoid changes as well as a trabecular pattern. Most are positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors. Herein, we report a 46-year-old woman with retroperitoneal leiomyomas who had undergone laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy 5 years previously due to uterine leiomyomas. Treatment by laparoscopic excision was successful and immunohistochemical staining of the tumor tissue was negative for estrogen and progesterone receptors.

Female↗