Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine

Original Article

Immunohistochemical Study of IL-4, IL-6, and TNF Expression in Cardiac Myxoma: Emphasis on Constitutional Symptoms of the Myxoma Patients.: Min Sun Cho, Soo Yeon Cho, Mi Jung Kim, Sung Sook Kim, Jeong Wook Seo, Woon Sup Han; Korean J Pathol. 1995;29(5):563-571.

Abstract: It is well documented that cardiac myxomas are associated with immunologic features that can simulate systemic autoimmune diseases. Recently, it was reported that cardiac myxomas produce IL-6 constitutively, which could partly explain the immunologic features observed in these patients. However, only a few investigators have studied cytokines in regards to symptoms they may cause in patients with cardiac myxoma. Also there is very little information in the literature on the immunohistochmical localization of IL-6. We performed immunobistochemical stains for IL-4, TNF, and IL-6 on paraffm embbeded tissue of cardiac myxoma tissue. A bioassay of IL-6 activity in patient's serum and in cultured cells from fresh myxoma tissue was performed to ascertain the role of these cytokines in myxomas. In this study, we demonstrated inununohistochemically that there was a local overproduction of IL-4, TNF, and IL-6 in cytoplasm of the tumor cells in about half cases. Bioassays of the serum and cultured tumor cells revealed elevated IL-6 activities. Also these findings correlate to production of patient's constitutional symptoms with statistical significance (P<0.05). In conclusion, these results are of considerable importance in understanding the role of IL-4, TNF, and IL-6 in cardiac myxoma patient with constitutional symptoms, and have an impact on strategies for diagnosis and therapy of cardiac myxoma.

Case Report

Right Atrial Myxoma Showing Granulomatous Lesion with Pulmonary Infart: A case report.: Kun Chang Song, Soon Hee Jung, Dong Hwan Shin; Korean J Pathol. 1993;27(5):501-503.

Abstract PDF: Cardiac myxoma is the most common primary tumor of the heart. The tumor contains a variety of cell types that are thought to arise from a focus of primitive pluripotential mesenchymal cells in the area of the fossa ovalis. Throughout the myxoid stroma, there are variable amounts of reticular fivers, collagen, elastic fibers and smooth muscle cells. A 38-year-old female had right atrial myxoma with multiple pulmonary infarcts. In this case, we experienced an unusual degenerative change in the tumor of granulomatous lesion consisting of hemosiderin pigments, foreign body giant cells and peculiar, spheroid, semilunar or bamboo-shaped degenerated elastic fibers. Microscopically it resembles Gamna-Gandy nodule seen in the spleen of chronic passive congestion.

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