Background The present research was designed to study the associations between genetic variants of TYMS and ENOSF1 genes with TYMS and ENOSF1 gene expression in neoadjuvant chemotherapy response among patients with gastric cancer. Methods: Formalin-embedded and paraffin-fixed matched tumor and normal gastric cancer tissue samples from patients who received neoadjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment were obtained. DNA and RNA were extracted for all samples. A 28-bp variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) at the 5' untranslated region of TYMS gene and rs2612091 and rs2741171 variants in the ENOSF1 gene were genotyped for normal tissue samples. The real-time polymerase chain reaction method was used to study the expression of ENOSF1 and TYMS genes in both normal and tumor tissues. Data were analyzed using REST 2000 and SPSS ver. 26.0 software programs. Results: A significant association between TYMS 2R3R VNTR genotypes and 5-FU therapy was found (p = .032). The 3R3R and 2R2R genotypes were significantly associated with increased and decreased survival time, respectively (p = .003). The 3R3R genotype was significantly associated with TYMS overexpression (p < .001). Moreover, a significant association was found between the rs2612091 genotype and treatment outcome (p = .017). Conclusions: This study highlights the impact of TYMS and ENOSF1 genes as predictive indicators for survival and response to 5-FU–based neoadjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients.
Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has long been recognized as a minimally invasive, cost-effective, and reliable diagnostic tool for breast lesions. However, with the advent of core-needle biopsy (CNB), the role of FNAC has diminished in some clinical settings. This review aims to re-evaluate the diagnostic value of FNAC in the current era, focusing on its complementary use alongside CNB, the adoption of new approaches such as the International Academy of Cytology Yokohama System, and the implementation of rapid on-site evaluation to reduce inadequate sample rates. Advances in liquid-based cytology, receptor expression testing, molecular diagnostics, and artificial intelligence are discussed, highlighting their potential to enhance the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC. Despite challenges, FNAC remains a valuable diagnostic method, particularly in low-resource settings and specific clinical scenarios, and its role continues to evolve with technology.
BCOR-rearranged sarcoma was classified by the World Health Organization in 2020 as a new subgroup of undifferentiated small round-cell sarcoma. It is known to occur very rarely in the kidney. This report presents the first case of a primary renal BCOR::CCNB3 sarcoma in a 22-year-old woman. An 8-cm cystic mass was identified in the left kidney by abdominal pelvic computed tomography. Histopathologic examination revealed the mass to be composed of small round to oval or spindle cells with fibrous septa and a delicate vascular network. A BCOR::CCNB3 fusion was detected by next-generation sequencing–based molecular testing. BCOR::CCNB3 sarcoma presents diagnostic difficulties, highlighting the importance of recognizing its histological features. Immunohistochemical markers are helpful for diagnosis, but genetic molecular testing is necessary for accurate diagnosis. These tumors have a very poor and aggressive prognosis, and an optimal therapeutic regimen has not yet been defined. Therefore, further studies are needed.
Background The International Academy of Cytology (IAC) has developed a standardized approach for reporting the findings of breast fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Accordingly, there are five chief categories of breast lesions, C1 (insufficient material), C2 (benign), C3 (atypical), C4 (suspicious), and C5 (malignant). The prognostication and management of breast carcinoma can be performed readily on the basis of this classification system. The aim of this study was to classify various breast lesions into one of the above-named categories and to further grade the C5 lesions specifically using the Robinson system. The latter grades were then correlated with modified Scarff-Bloom-Richardson (SBR) grades.
Methods This retrospective study was undertaken in the pathology department of a hospital located in the urban part of the city of Bangalore. All FNAC procedures performed on breast lumps spanning the year 2020 were included in the study.
Results A total of 205 breast lesions was classified according to the IAC guidelines into C1 (6 cases, 2.9%), C2 (151 cases, 73.7%), C3 (13 cases, 6.3%), C4 (5 cases, 2.5%), and C5 (30 cases, 14.6%) groups. The C5 cases were further graded using Robinson’s system. The latter showed a significant correlation with the SBR system (concordance=83.3%, Spearman correlation=0.746, Kendall’s tau-b=0.736, kappa=0.661, standard error=0.095, p≤.001).
Conclusions A standardized approach for FNAC reporting of breast lesions, as advocated for by the IAC, improves the quality and clarity of the reports and assures diagnostic reproducibility on a global scale. Further, the cytological grading of C5 lesions provides reliable cyto-prognostic scores that can help assess a tumor’s aggressiveness and predict its histological grade.
Background Papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) is the second most common histological subtype of renal cell carcinoma and is considered a morphologically and molecularly heterogeneous tumor. Accurate classification and assessment of the immunohistochemical features of possible therapeutic targets are needed for precise patient care. We aimed to evaluate immunohistochemical features and possible therapeutic targets of papillary renal neoplasms
Methods We collected 140 papillary renal neoplasms from three different hospitals and conducted immunohistochemical studies on tissue microarray slides. We performed succinate dehydrogenase B, fumarate hydratase, and transcription factor E3 immunohistochemical studies for differential diagnosis and re-classified five cases (3.6%) of papillary renal neoplasms. In addition, we conducted c-MET, p16, c-Myc, Ki-67, p53, and stimulator of interferon genes (STING) immunohistochemical studies to evaluate their pathogenesis and value for therapeutic targets.
Results We found that c-MET expression was more common in pRCC (classic) (p = .021) among papillary renal neoplasms and Ki-67 proliferation index was higher in pRCC (not otherwise specified, NOS) compared to that of pRCC (classic) and papillary neoplasm with reverse polarity (marginal significance, p = .080). Small subsets of cases with p16 block positivity (4.5%) (pRCC [NOS] only) and c-Myc expression (7.1%) (pRCC [classic] only) were found. Also, there were some cases showing STING expression and those cases were associated with increased Ki-67 proliferation index (marginal significance, p = .063).
Conclusions Our findings suggested that there are subsets of pRCC with c-MET, p16, c-MYC, and STING expression and those cases could be potential candidates for targeted therapy.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Tissue-Based Biomarkers Important for Prognostication and Management of Genitourinary Tumors, Including Surrogate Markers of Genomic Alterations Leonie Beauchamp, Shreeya Indulkar, Eric Erak, Mohammad Salimian, Andres Matoso Surgical Pathology Clinics.2025; 18(1): 175. CrossRef
Background Radioiodine (RI) ablation following thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression is an effective treatment for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), typically leading to favorable outcomes. However, RI-refractory tumors exhibit aggressive behavior and poor prognoses. Recent studies highlight the role of genetic abnormalities in PTC signaling pathways, including the activation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), and the correlation of mutations with adverse outcomes.
Methods This study analyzed mutations in BRAF V600E and the TERT-promoter genes, comparing clinicopathological features between RI-refractory and RI-responsive PTCs. Among 82 RI-refractory patients, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from initial surgeries were available for 26. Another 89 without distant metastasis over 5 years formed a matched RI-responsive control group.
Results Histopathologically, RI-refractory PTCs showed increased frequencies of small tumor clusters without fibrovascular cores, hobnail features, and a high height-to-width ratio of tumor cells. These tumors were more likely to exhibit necrosis, mitosis, lymph node metastasis, extrathyroidal extension, and involvement of resection margins. TERT-promoter mutations were statistically significantly associated with these aggressive clinicopathologic features. Immunohistochemically, decreased expression of sodium iodide symporter and thyroglobulin stimulating hormone receptor proteins was common in RI-refractory PTCs, along with lower levels of oncogenic proteins such as vascular endothelial cell growth factor, vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 2, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells. Total loss of PTEN expression was occasionally observed. In contrast, all cases tested positive for cytoplasmic β-catenin.
Conclusions RI-refractory PTCs are linked to TERT mutations and exhibit specific aggressive histopathologic features, particularly in tumor centers.
Luis Miguel Chinchilla-Tábora, Beatriz Segovia Blázquez, José María Sayagués, Marta Rodríguez González, Joaquín González-Rivero, José Antonio Muñoz León, Andrea Beatriz Jiménez Pérez, Idalia González Morais, Diego Bueno-Sacristán, María Dolores Ludeña
J Pathol Transl Med. 2024;58(5):249-254. Published online July 3, 2024
The blood vessel lumen is an extremely rare location for a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor like schwannoma. Less than 10 cases have been previously reported. In this report, we present a case of a 68-year-old woman who had a soft tissue nodule at the posterior calf of her left leg during a physical examination. Pathological examination was performed after complete surgical excision. The patient underwent follow-up for 12 months after surgery without evidence of recurrence or any other complication. This is the first case of intravascular schwannoma reported as a cause of vein obstruction. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of Schwann spindle cells that were immunoreactive for S100 protein and SOX10. This tumor was surrounded by a well-defined vascular smooth muscle wall. Prospective series are required to improve the knowledge on the underlying mechanisms of intravascular schwannoma development.
Background The identification of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) requires a comprehensive analysis involving clinical manifestations and histological findings. This study aims to provide insights into the histopathological and immunohistochemical aspects of IIMs.
Methods This retrospective case series involved 56 patients diagnosed with IIMs at the Department of Pathology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, from 2019 to 2023. The histology and immunohistochemical expression of HLA-ABC, HLA-DR, C5b-9, Mx1/2/3, and p62 were detected.
Results We examined six categories of inflammatory myopathy, including immunemediated necrotizing myopathy (58.9%), dermatomyositis (DM; 23.2%), overlap myositis (8.9%), antisynthetase syndrome (5.4%), inclusion body myositis (IBM; 1.8%), and polymyositis (1.8%). The average age of the patients was 49.7 ± 16.1 years, with a female-to-male ratio of 3:1. Inflammatory cell infiltration in the endomysium was present in 62.5% of cases, perifascicular atrophy was found in 17.8%, and fiber necrosis was observed in 42 cases (75.0%). Rimmed vacuoles were present in 100% of cases in the IBM group. Immunohistochemistry showed the following positivity rates: HLA-ABC (89.2%), HLA-DR (19.6%), C5b-9 (57.1%), and Mx1/2/3 (10.7%). Mx1/2/3 expression was high in DM cases. p62 vacuole deposits were noted in the IBM case. The combination of membrane attack complex and major histocompatibility complex I helped detect IIMs in 96% of cases.
Conclusions The diagnosis of IIMs and their subtypes should be based on clinical features and histopathological characteristics. Immunohistochemistry plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and differentiation of these subgroups.
Pancreatic neuroendocrine microtumor (PNEMT) is a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) < 0.5 cm in diameter, and it is considered benign. We report a PNEMT with high-grade transformation (HGT). A man in his 60s with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome underwent surgical resection of a NET. A second sub-centimeter nodule with a nodule-in-nodule pattern was discovered. The 0.4 cm outer nodule contained clear columnar cells with round nuclei and indistinct nucleoli, while the 0.1 cm inner nodule had eosinophilic cells with an increased nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio, vesicular nuclei, and prominent nucleoli. Tumor cells in the outer and inner nodules were synaptophysin and chromogranin positive. Only the inner nodule was p53 positive, while the outer nodule was exclusively positive for carbonic anhydrase 9 and vimentin. The Ki-67 labeling indices for the outer and inner nodules were 2.1% (grade 1) and 44.3% (grade 3), respectively. This nodule was determined to be a PNEMT with HGT. Our findings suggest that a PNEMT may not always be benign and can undergo HGT.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Molecular Basis of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Alesia Maluchenko, Denis Maksimov, Zoia Antysheva, Julia Krupinova, Ekaterina Avsievich, Olga Glazova, Natalia Bodunova, Nikolay Karnaukhov, Ilia Feidorov, Diana Salimgereeva, Mark Voloshin, Pavel Volchkov International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2024; 25(20): 11017. CrossRef
Yi A. Liu, Phyu P. Aung, Yunyi Wang, Jing Ning, Priyadharsini Nagarajan, Jonathan L. Curry, Carlos A. Torres-Cabala, Doina Ivan, Victor G. Prieto, Qingqing Ding, Woo Cheal Cho
J Pathol Transl Med. 2024;58(2):72-80. Published online February 26, 2024
Background Although trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type 1 (TRPS1) was initially thought to be highly sensitive and specific for carcinomas and mesenchymal tumors of mammary origin, more recent data suggest its expression is not limited to breast neoplasms but also can be seen in other cutaneous neoplasms, such as extramammary Paget disease and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in situ.
Methods Two-hundred cases of non-melanocytic cutaneous neoplasm, including basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) (n = 41), SCCs (n = 35), Merkel cell carcinomas (MCCs) (n = 25), and adnexal neoplasms (n = 99), were tested for TRPS1 expression using a monoclonal anti- TRPS1 rabbit anti-human antibody.
Results TRPS1 expression was present in almost all cases of SCC (94%), with a median H-score of 200, while it was either absent or only focally present in most BCCs (90%), with a median H-score of 5. The difference between BCCs and SCCs in H-score was significant (p < .001). All MCCs (100%) lacked TRPS1 expression. TRPS1 expression was frequently seen in most adnexal neoplasms, benign and malignant, in variable intensity and proportion but was consistently absent in apocrine carcinomas. All endocrine mucin-producing sweat gland carcinomas (EMPSGCs) (100%, 6/6) showed diffuse and strong TRPS1 immunoreactivity, with a median H-score of 300, which was significantly different (p < .001) than that of BCCs.
Conclusions Our study shows that TRPS1 may be an effective discriminatory marker for BCCs and SCCs. It also has a role in distinguishing BCCs from EMPSGCs.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type 1 (TRPS1) in breast pathology: diagnostic utility and pitfalls Atif Ali Hashmi, Edi Brogi, Hannah Y. Wen Diagnostic Pathology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Refining NTRK Fusion Detection in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Through Pan-TRK Immunohistochemistry and Histopathologic Features Hyun Lee, Sue Youn Kim, Ji Min Park, Seung-Hyun Jung, Ozgur Mete, Chan Kwon Jung Endocrine Pathology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Endocrine mucin-producing sweat gland carcinoma: Case report and literature review Nan Guo, Zhenlin Fan, Yitong Chen, Qian Li, Limin Guo European Journal of Ophthalmology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
TRPS1 Expression Is Frequently Seen in a Subset of Cutaneous Mesenchymal Neoplasms and Tumors of Uncertain Differentiation: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall Moon Joo Kim, Yi A. Liu, Yunyi Wang, Jing Ning, Woo Cheal Cho Dermatopathology.2024; 11(3): 200. CrossRef
TRPS1 expression in MPNST is correlated with PRC2 inactivation and loss of H3K27me3 Rossana Lazcano, Davis R. Ingram, Gauri Panse, Alexander J. Lazar, Wei-Lien Wang, Jeffrey M. Cloutier Human Pathology.2024; 151: 105632. CrossRef
Syringocystadenoma Papilliferum-Like Features in Poroma: An Unusual Morphologic Pattern of Poroma or True Synchronous Occurrence of 2 Distinct Neoplasms? Mouaz Alsawas, Fiorinda F. Muhaj, Phyu P. Aung, Priyadharsini Nagarajan, Woo Cheal Cho The American Journal of Dermatopathology.2024; 46(12): 871. CrossRef
A Comprehensive Review of TRPS1 as a Diagnostic Immunohistochemical Marker for Primary Breast Carcinoma: Latest Insights and Diagnostic Pitfalls Antonia-Carmen Georgescu, Tiberiu-Augustin Georgescu, Simona-Alina Duca-Barbu, Lucian Gheorghe Pop, Daniela Oana Toader, Nicolae Suciu, Dragos Cretoiu Cancers.2024; 16(21): 3568. CrossRef
Expression of TRPS1 in Metastatic Tumors of the Skin: An Immunohistochemical Study of 72 Cases Kassiani Boulogeorgou, Christos Topalidis, Triantafyllia Koletsa, Georgia Karayannopoulou, Jean Kanitakis Dermatopathology.2024; 11(4): 293. CrossRef
Primary renal myoepithelial carcinoma is an exceedingly rare neoplasm with an aggressive phenotype and Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 (EWSR1) rearrangement in a small fraction of cases. In addition to its rarity, the diagnosis can be challenging for the pathologist due to morphologic heterogeneity, particularly on the biopsy specimen. At times, immunohistochemistry may be indecisive; therefore, molecular studies should be undertaken for clinching the diagnosis. We aim to illustrate a case of primary myoepithelial carcinoma of the kidney with EWSR1-rearrangement in a 67-year-old male patient who presented with right supraclavicular mass, which was clinically diagnosed as carcinoma of an unknown primary. An elaborate immunohistochemical work-up aided by fluorescent in-situ hybridization allowed us to reach a conclusive diagnosis. This unusual case report advocates that one should be aware of the histological mimickers and begin with broad differential diagnoses alongside sporadic ones and then narrow them down with appropriate ancillary studies.
Schwannomas are benign, slow-growing peripheral nerve sheath tumors commonly occurring in the head, neck, and flexor regions of the extremities. Although most schwannomas are easily diagnosable, their variable morphology can occasionally create difficulty in diagnosis. Reporting pathologists should be aware that schwannomas can exhibit a broad spectrum of morphological patterns. Clinical and radiological examinations can show correlation and should be performed, in conjunction with ancillary tests, when appropriate. Furthermore, deferring a definitive diagnosis until excision may be necessary for small biopsy specimens and frozen sections. This report underscores these challenges through examination of two unique schwannoma cases, one predominantly cellular and the other myxoid, both of which posed significant challenges in histological interpretation.
Background Aquaporin (AQP) expression has been investigated in various malignant neoplasms, and the overexpression of AQP is related to poor prognosis in some malignancies. However, the expression of AQP protein in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has not been extensively investigated by immunohistochemistry with large sample size.
Methods We evaluated the AQP expression in 827 ccRCC with immunohistochemical staining in tissue microarray blocks and classified the cases into two categories, high and low expression.
Results High expression of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) was found in 320 cases (38.7%), but aquaporin-3 was not expressed in ccRCC. High AQP1 expression was significantly related to younger age, low TNM stage, low World Health Organization/International Society of Urologic Pathology nuclear grade, and absence of distant metastasis. Furthermore, high AQP1 expression was also significantly associated with longer overall survival (OS; p<.001) and progression-specific survival (PFS; p<.001) and was an independent predictor of OS and PFS in ccRCC.
Conclusions Our study revealed the prognostic significance of AQP1 protein expression in ccRCC. These findings could be applied to predict the prognosis of ccRCC.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Serum Exosomal MiR-874 as a Potential Biomarker for Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis Amal F. Gharib, Saad S. Al-Shehri, Abdulraheem Almalki, Ayman Alhazmi, Mamdouh Allahyani, Ahmed Alghamdi, Amani A. Alrehaili, Maha M. Bakhuraysah, Althobaiti Naif Saad M., Weal H. Elsawy Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Intrathyroidal metastasis of tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma is rare. To date, only six cases have been reported in the literature. This case was unusual and presented with thyromegaly before the diagnosis of the primary tumor. A 55-year-old male patient was suspected to have a primary thyroid tumor with nodal metastasis. The thyroid gland was diffusely enlarged, with no discernible mass. Histologically, the thyroid parenchyma revealed extensive endolymphatic tumor emboli, which were positive for p40 and p16 in a background of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Positron emission tomography–computed tomography revealed hypermetabolic activity in the right tonsillar region. Tonsillar biopsy revealed human papillomavirus–positive squamous cell carcinoma. The present case is the first reported case of intrathyroidal metastasis of tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma with an initial clinical presentation of thyroid enlargement before the primary tumor of tonsillar cancer was diagnosed.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Metastasis to Thyroid from Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Series and Review of Literature Avneet Kaur, Rohit Nayyar, Harit Kumar Chaturvedi, Akshat Malik Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology.2025; 16(1): 122. CrossRef
Metastatic oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma to the thyroid: A case report and review of literature Hannah Walker, Jed Speers, Milena Fabry, Sameep Kadakia American Journal of Otolaryngology.2024; 45(4): 104306. CrossRef
The development and standardization of cytologic screening of the uterine cervix has dramatically decreased the prevalence of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Advances in the understanding of biology of human papillomavirus have contributed to upgrading the histologic diagnosis of the uterine cervix; however, cytologic screening that should triage those that need further management still poses several difficulties in interpretation. Cytologic features of high grade intraepithelial squamous lesion (HSIL) mimics including atrophy, immature metaplasia, and transitional metaplasia, and glandular lesion masquerades including tubal metaplasia and HSIL with glandular involvement are described with accentuation mainly on the differential points. When the cytologic features lie in a gray zone between the differentials, the most important key to the more accurate interpretation is sticking to the very basics of cytology; screening the background and cellular architecture, and then scrutinizing the nuclear and cytoplasmic details.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Risk of cervical stenosis after cervical excision in postmenopausal patients Eva Hauge, Line Winther Gustafson, Mette Tranberg, Pinar Bor European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.2025; 308: 208. CrossRef
Pitfalls in Gynecological Cytology: Review of the Common and Less Frequent Entities in Pap Test Danijela Vrdoljak-Mozetič, Snježana Štemberger-Papić, Damjana Verša Ostojić, Roberta Rubeša, Marko Klarić, Senija Eminović Acta Cytologica.2024; 68(3): 281. CrossRef
Cytological features of human papillomavirus‐infected immature squamous metaplastic cells from cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 Mitsuaki Okodo, Kaori Okayama, Koji Teruya, Ruku Shinohara, Shuichi Mizuno, Rei Settsu, Yasuyoshi Ishii, Masahiko Fujii, Hirokazu Kimura, Mizue Oda Journal of Medical Virology.2023;[Epub] CrossRef