Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor, ERBB2 and KIT in adult soft tissue sarcomas: a clinicopathologic study of 281 cases.

Background: Little is known about the expression of receptor tyrosine kinases in adult soft tissue sarcomas (STS). In the current study, the authors analyzed the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), ERBB2, and KIT in 281 patients with STS who were treated in a single institution. Verification of the presence of an association with prognosis was performed.

Significance of extracellular potassium in central respiratory control studied in the isolated brainstem-spinal cord preparation of the neonatal rat.

The significance of extracellular potassium in central respiratory control was investigated using the isolated brainstem-spinal cord preparation of the neonatal rat. Depth profiles of extracellular potassium activity ([K+])ECF in the medulla were measured with ion-sensitive microelectrodes. Although [K+]ECF increased with depth in medullary tissue during control (4 mM) and low (1 mM) potassium concentration ([K+])CSF superfusion, this gradient disappeared with higher [K+]CSF.

SYT, a partner of SYT-SSX oncoprotein in synovial sarcomas, interacts with mSin3A, a component of histone deacetylase complex.

Synovial sarcomas are soft-tissue tumors predominantly affecting children and young adults. They are molecular-genetically characterized by the SYT-SSX fusion gene generated from chromosomal translocation t(X; 18) (p11.2; q11.

Crisscross CTL induction by SYT-SSX junction peptide and its HLA-A*2402 anchor substitute.

To investigate the effects of anchor substitutions in SYT-SSX junction peptide, an HLA-A24 anchor residue (position 9) of the SYT-SSX B peptide (GYDQIMPKK) was substituted to more favorable residues according to the HLA-A24-binding motif. Among four substitutes constructed, a substitute with isoleucine (termed K9I peptide) most apparently enhanced the affinity for HLA-A24 molecule. Subsequent in vitro CTL induction analysis using PBMCs of 15 HLA-A24(+) synovial sarcoma patients revealed that the original B peptide allowed to induce synovial sarcoma-specific CTLs from 7 patients (47%), whereas such CTLs were inducible from 12 patients (80%) with K9I peptide.

Differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor and other spindle cell tumors in the gastrointestinal tract based on immunohistochemical analysis.

To confirm the usefulness of an immunohistochemical panel of antibodies for KIT (c-kit/CD117), CD34, desmin, smooth-muscle actin (SMA), h-caldesmon (HCD), S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and beta-catenin, 297 mesenchymal and peripheral nerve-sheath tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and intra-abdominal locations including 211 gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), 12 leiomyomas, 18 leiomyosarcomas, 17 solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs), 14 schwannomas, and 25 desmoid-type fibromatoses (DTFs) were analyzed immunohistochemically. Consistent (100%) immunoreactivity for KIT, CD34, desmin and S-100, and nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin were detected in GISTs, SFTs, smooth-muscle tumors, schwannomas, and DTFs, respectively. Immunoreactivity for SMA, HCD, and NSE was observed in a wide range of these tumors.

Influence of telomerase activity on bone and soft tissue tumors.

Purpose: Telomeres consisting of a repeating nucleotide sequence (TTAGGG)n are shortened in normal somatic cells. Telomerase is an enzyme that elongates the telomere sequence and is detected in most human cancers and usually not in normal somatic cells. Little is known about telomerase activity in bone and soft tissue tumors.

Prognostic significance of MRI findings in patients with myxoid-round cell liposarcoma.

Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the prognostic significance of MRI findings in patients with myxoid-round cell liposarcomas and to clarify which MRI features best indicate tumors with adverse clinical behavior.

Materials And Methods: The initial MRI studies of 36 pathologically confirmed myxoid-round cell liposarcomas were retrospectively reviewed, and observations from this review were correlated with the histopathologic features. MR images were evaluated by two radiologists with agreement by consensus, and both univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate survival with a median clinical follow-up of 33 months (range, 9-276 months).

Establishment and characterization of a biphasic synovial sarcoma cell line, SYO-1.

We describe here the establishment of a new synovial sarcoma cell line, SYO-1, derived from a biphasic synovial sarcoma that developed in the groin of a 19-year-old female. The cell line was maintained for more than 70 passages (more than 24 months) in vitro. The SYO-1 cells in monolayer culture exhibited a spindle shape without conspicuous pleomorphism.

Three-dimensional gait analysis of adults with hip dysplasia after rotational acetabular osteotomy.

Dysplasia of the hip, the most common cause of secondary coxarthrosis, has a relatively high prevalence in Japan. Rotational acetabular osteotomy (RAO) is an interventional strategy that seeks to reduce the abnormal amount of high stress concentration in the acetabulum and thereby to prevent the development of coxarthrosis. Long-term clinical results have been reported, but functional evaluations of the gait before and after RAO are underreported.

Vascularized femoral nerve graft with anterolateral thigh true perforator flap for massive defects after cancer ablation in the upper arm.

Massive resection of soft-tissue sarcoma in the elbow region often results in loss of long segments of the brachial artery and median nerve, as well as a wide soft-tissue defect. With conventional nerve grafts and revascularization of the arm, forearm and hand function is poor because nerves cannot be regenerated over the long nerve gap in the high elbow region. The authors used a long vascularized nerve graft and found it effective for reconstruction of upper arm function.

Splicing isoform of SYT-SSX fusion protein accelerates transcriptional activity and cell proliferation.

The human SYT-SSX gene has two splicing isoforms (type N and I), the latter of which contains an additional insertion of 93 bases. In the present study, we found increased transcriptional activity of the SYT-SSX type I protein in luciferase assay. When the SYT-SSX cDNAs were transfected to NIH3T3 cells, the type I transformant grew faster than the type N transformant.

Sclerosing perineurioma: a clinicopathological study of five cases and diagnostic utility of immunohistochemical staining for GLUT1.

We reviewed five cases of sclerosing perineurial tumor of the hand. Four patients were male and one was female with ages ranging from 11 years to 49 years (mean 26 years). The predominant reason for consultation at the outpatient clinic was a slowly growing painless mass.

Vascular endothelial growth factor principally acts as the main angiogenic factor in the early stage of human osteoblastogenesis.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated angiogenesis is essential for bone formation. However, the effect of VEGF on osteoblastic cells during osteoblastogenesis is still controversial. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between osteoblastic cells derived from human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and VEGF in the early stage of osteoblastic differentiation.

Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma: a Multi-Institutional Study of 42 Cases in Japan.

Background: Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMC) is a rare malignant neoplasm. Despite a consensus for the distinct clinicopathologic entity of EMC, its clinical features remain controversial. In addition, most studies have contained a small number of patients who underwent definitive surgical treatment.

Rostral ventrolateral medulla neurons of neonatal Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We compared the electrophysiological properties of neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) of neonatal Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and responses to angiotensin II and its type 1 receptor antagonist candesartan. Using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, we examined the characteristics of RVLM neurons in brainstem-spinal cord preparations with a preserved sympathetic neuronal network. The baseline membrane potential of irregularly firing neurons was less negative (-50.

Detection and induction of CTLs specific for SYT-SSX-derived peptides in HLA-A24(+) patients with synovial sarcoma.

To investigate the immunogenic property of peptides derived from the synovial sarcoma-specific SYT-SSX fusion gene, we synthesized four peptides according to the binding motif for HLA-A24. The peptides, SS391 (PYGYDQIMPK) and SS393 (GYDQIMPKK), were derived from the breakpoint of SYT-SSX, and SS449a (AWTHRLRER) and SS449b (AWTHRLRERK) were from the SSX region. These peptides were tested for their reactivity with CTL precursors (CTLps) in 16 synovial sarcoma patients using HLA-A24/SYT-SSX peptide tetramers and also for induction of specific CTLs from four HLA-A24(+) synovial sarcoma patients.

Treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas of the hand and wrist.

We studied 13 consecutive patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas of the hand and wrist. Chondrosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, synovial sarcoma and epithelioid sarcoma were the most frequent histological diagnoses. Limb-sparing surgery was performed in ten patients but eventually three patients required an amputation.

Identification of a triterpenoid saponin from a crucifer, Barbarea vulgaris, as a feeding deterrent to the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella.

Larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, a crucifer specialist, refuse to feed on a crucifer, Barbarea vulgaris, because of the presence of a feeding deterrent, which is extractable with chloroform. We isolated a feeding deterrent from B. vulgaris leaves, by successive fractionations with silica-gel, ODS, i.

Intraarticular synovial sarcoma confirmed by SYT-SSX fusion transcript.

A case of intraarticular synovial sarcoma arising in the knee verified by detection of the tumor-specific SYT-SSX fusion transcript is described. Although it is extremely rare, synovial sarcoma may occur entirely within a joint space. The molecular assay for detecting a tumor-specific chimeric gene is a valuable tool for diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma, especially for diagnostically difficult cases and tumors in unusual locations.

Endostatin inhibits adhesion of endothelial cells to collagen I via alpha(2)beta(1) integrin, a possible cause of prevention of chondrosarcoma growth.

Endostatin derived from collagen XVIII is a potent endogenous anti-angiogenic factor that induces regression of various tumors of epithelial origin. Endostatin has been shown to inhibit endothelial cell functions, however, its effect remains controversial. We first attempted here to apply the inhibitory effect of recombinant human endostatin on chondrosarcomas, which originate from the mesenchyme, in nude mice.

Apoptosis and expression of its regulatory proteins in soft tissue sarcomas.

Information for the occurrence and extent of apoptosis in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and their clinical implication are limited. In 102 cases of STSs, apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling method and expression of Bcl-2, Bax, MIB-1 and p53 protein was examined immunohistochemically. The apoptotic index of the STSs ranged from 0 to 15% with an average value of 1.

Impact of SYT-SSX fusion type on the clinical behavior of synovial sarcoma: a multi-institutional retrospective study of 243 patients.

Synovial sarcomas are aggressive spindle cell sarcomas containing in some cases areas of epithelial differentiation. They consistently show a specific t(X;18;p11;q11), which usually represents either of two gene fusions, SYT-SSX1 or SYT-SSX2, encoding putative transcriptional proteins differing at 13 amino acid positions. Previous studies have suggested that patients with SYT-SSX2 tumors do better than those with SYT-SSX1 tumors, but the study groups were too limited to be conclusive.

Human chondrosarcoma secretes vascular endothelial growth factor to induce tumor angiogenesis and stores basic fibroblast growth factor for regulation of its own growth.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) are well-known factors that induce neovascularization in many tumors. The molecular mechanisms that regulate tumor angiogenesis in human chondrosarcoma are not clear. We assessed in this work the angiogenic activities of a human chondrosarcoma cell line (OUMS-27) in vivo and determined the efficacies of angiogenic factors derived from OUMS-27 cells on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro.