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Biomedical subjects

G Haroske

Publications and source records attributed to G Haroske.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Expression of p53 and bcl-2 in correlation to clinicopathological parameters, hormone receptor status and DNA ploidy in breast cancers.

The expression of p53 and bcl-2 was immunohistochemically investigated in 61 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded invasive breast carcinomas. The study was aimed to elucidate the relationship between both markers and the correlation of p53 and bcl-2, respectively, to clinicopathological variables, to hormone receptor status and to DNA-ploidy. Twenty tumors showed a positive reaction with the monoclonal antibody DO-1 against p53 protein. Its immunohistochemical demonstration was significantly correlated with a tumor size larger than 2 cm, a low estrogen receptor status and DNA-aneuploidy. Bcl-2 was demonstrated in 51 breast cancers. Bcl-2 was preferably seen in low grade and hormone receptor positive tumors. We found a negative correlation between the immunoreactive scores of p53 and bcl-2, but in 17 carcinomas a coexpression of both proteins was seen. Cases with this coexpression did not differ significantly from the other tumors in clinicopathological parameters. In eight of these cases more than 10% of the cells were found to be positive for both markers. In four cases we could show many cells to exhibit both markers as it was assessed by an immunofluorescence double labeling technique.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Distinct expression patterns of CD44 isoforms during human lung development and in pulmonary fibrosis.

The transmembrane glycoprotein CD44 represents a family of molecules, all encoded by one gene. The variability of the isoforms is generated by alternative splicing of the nuclear RNA. Apart from the abundant standard form (CD44s), the variant isoforms (CD44v) are mostly restricted to epithelia. The present study demonstrates the expression of CD44s and CD44v isoforms in embryonic and fetal lungs and in normal and pathologically altered (pulmonary fibrosis after radio- or chemotherapy) human adult pulmonary tissues. Using double immunofluorescence and avidin biotin complex (ABC) techniques on paraffin sections, presence of CD44s and CD44v isoforms (CD44v4, CD44v6, CD44v9) has been analyzed. In normal lung tissue, CD44s is present at the cell surface of alveolar macrophages, in some interstitial cells and in epithelial cells. It is also present in epithelial and non-epithelial cells during lung development. CD44v isoforms containing exon v6 and v9 encoded epitopes are selectively detectable in normal epithelial cells with a strong basolateral distribution pattern in the entire population of type II pneumocytes and in basal cells of the bronchial epithelium. During development exon v9 encoded isoforms appear at the pseudoglandular stage, whereas CD44v6 has only been found at the saccular stage. Examination of 12 fibrotic lung samples has revealed major alterations in the CD44 expression in comparison to normal lung tissue. These changes include cytoplasmic deposits of CD44s in alveolar epithelial cells and reduced expression of the CD44v6 and CD44v9 isoforms in alveolar epithelial and bronchial epithelial cells. The results suggest that CD44v isoforms may be utilized by type II pneumocytes in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions and in the maintenance of the pulmonary histoarchitecture.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Heterogeneity of the chromatin fine structure in DNA-diploid breast cancer cells.

The chromatin fine structure of Feulgen-stained DNA-diploid tumour cells was studied by means of image cytometry in fine-needle aspiration biopsies of 115 breast cancer patients. The investigation was focused on diploid, several subtypes of polyploid, and aneuploid tumours. Only the clearly separable diploid peaks of these tumours were measured cytometrically by an OPTIMAS-based image analysis system, which led to a set of 93 primary cytometric features in each diploid subpopulation. The results demonstrate that the diploid tumours are clearly different to the diploid compartments of various subtypes of polyploid and aneuploid tumours. Between those diploid subpopulations from polyploid tumours, chromatin structure differences also exist. A higher degree of similarity between polyploid and aneuploid tumours, compared to diploid, became evident. The actual structural differences between the diploid subpopulations indicate both increasing variances within the peak and increasingly coarse and contrasted, irregular chromatin structure with the occurrence of tetraploid, octoploid, and aneuploid DNA-histogram peaks. Therefore, the structural effects of an increasing genomic instability seems not to be restricted to the non-diploid cell populations.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Increase of precision and accuracy of DNA cytometry by correcting diffraction and glare errors.

In recent TV-based image cytometers considerable disproportionalities exist between the IOD values of reference cells, as well as diploid, tetraploid, and octoploid analysis cells compared with their theoretical IOD ratios. An important source of these deviations is the limited spatial resolution of the microscopic objectives, based on the effects of diffraction. Compared to these influences the glare is less important. A correcting method is given for reducing both effects on the DNA measurements, which considers a narrow region along the nuclear contour to be optically disturbed. The correction of this mean optical density (MOD)- and size-dependent geometric resolution error is applicable to any cell type. The method was tested on 25 rat liver imprints and 29 fine needle aspirates from breast cancers. The resulting stemline ratios are close to the theoretical ones. A further improvement was then reached by a glare correction. The slide-by-slide variations of stemline ratios, remaining after the corrections, were considered in a test statistic for defining the aneuploidy of a given stemline. Statistically based clear-cut decision rules were obtained for DNA histogram interpretation.

Animals↗

Localization of surfactant protein A (SP-A) in alveolar macrophage subpopulations of normal and fibrotic rat lung.

The colocalization of surfactant protein A (SP-A) and the alveolar macrophage markers ED1 and RM-1, as well as various lectins of the N-acetyl-galactosamine group [Maclura pomifera lectin (MPA), Dolichos biflorus lectin (DBA), soybean agglutinin (SBA)] and of the mannose group [Canavalia ensiformis lectin (ConA), Galanthus nivalis lectin (GNA)] was studied in normal and fibrotic rat lung tissues. In normal tissue, SP-A was located preferentially in the alveolar macrophage subpopulation lacking specific binding sites for lectins of the N-acetylgalactosamine group (DBA and SBA), although 50% of MPA-binding macrophages contained SP-A. The ED1-positive cells were SP-A-negative, whereas SP-A uptake could be detected among the RM-1 immunoreactive as well as the ConA and GNA binding macrophages. In fibrotic lung tissue, however, a small number of DBA and SBA binding macrophages contained SP-A and the percentage of GNA and ConA binding alveolar macrophages exhibiting SP-A immunoreactivity was reduced. Additionally, the number of ED1+/SP-A+ macrophages was found to be increased. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed accumulation of SP-A in the extracellular space. The differing SP-A content in different alveolar macrophage subpopulations suggests a more complex mechanism of uptake and degradation of surfactant proteins in normal and pathological conditions, which cannot simply be explained by the glycoconjugate pattern on the surface of alveolar macrophages.

Animals↗

Species differences in lectin binding to pulmonary cells: Soybean agglutinin (SBA) as a marker of type I alveolar epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages in mini pigs.

We compared lectin staining patterns in rat and mini pig tissues of normal and fibrotic (irradiation-induced) lungs. Two lectins were studied: Dolichos biflorus (DBA) and Soybean (SBA). Both lectins strongly stained a subpopulation of alveolar macrophages. In the rat, DBA positive macrophages were a subpopulation of the SBA binding cells. In mini pig lungs, a further specific binding of DBA and SBA was observed: DBA reacted with endothelia, and SBA stained the alveolar type I cells. Double immunofluorescence experiments using a type II cell-specific cytokeratin antibody confirmed the selective reactivity of SBA with type I cells, which was also present in fibrotic areas with epithelial cell proliferation.

Animals↗

Feasibility and limitations of a cytometric DNA ploidy analysis procedure in tissue sections.

To produce IOD histograms from tissue sections interpretable in terms of DNA ploidy, compromises between section thickness, nuclear volume and cellularity have to be found. In most cases, some kind of correction for capping effects will be inevitable. One of the correction procedures for that purpose was studied, i.e. that concerning the extent of errors which are necessarily introduced by assuming a distributional model of nuclei in the tissue slide. This procedure is mainly based on the assumptions of a spherical shape of the nuclei, of their homogeneous chromatin distribution, and of an equal distribution of the equatorial plane inside the tissue slide sectioned. Measurements on rat liver sections with a series of section thicknesses demonstrated that the correction procedure would lead to an exact position of the IOD peaks from the tetraploid nuclei on the ploidy axis. The width of the IOD peaks will not be diminished considerably as compared to uncorrected IOD histograms. Therefore, there are serious limitations to the procedure as compared to the DNA ploidy analysis on smears or imprints. If applied very critically in the case of tissue sections, the method may provide additional information about the DNA ploidy in those cases which lack a uniform tumour cell population or adequate material for smear preparations.

Animals↗

Heterogeneous Dolichos biflorus lectin binding to a subset of rat alveolar macrophages in normal and fibrotic lung tissue.

The distribution of Dolichos biflorus lectin in the rat lung and during fibrosis after irradiation was investigated by lectin histochemical and electron microscopical techniques and double immunofluorescence labelling with the monoclonal antibodies RM-1 and ED-1. The results indicate a selective reaction of Dolichos biflorus lectin with a subpopulation of alveolar macrophages. No binding of the lectin was detectable in ED-1-positive macrophages but strong staining occurred in a part of the RM-1-positive cell population. In fibrotic lung specimens an increased number of Dolichos biflorus lectin-positive macrophages was found in which focally ED-1 reactive and RM-1 negative cells appeared. The finding of changing lectin binding pattern in a radiation-induced lung model emphasizes the suitability of the Dolichos biflorus lectin as a marker of macrophage activation or functional specialization.

Animals↗

[Morphological possibilities for objectification of the prognosis for invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast].

Tissue sections were taken from 187 cases of invasive ductal mammary carcinoma (among them 94 cases with lymph node metastases, average follow-up period being 44 months) and, after Feulgen staining, were investigated by automated microscopic image analysis. A comparison was made, with reference to survival periods, between the relevance to prognosis of nuclear image analysis and results obtained from histopathological grading, according to Bloom and Richardson (1957), as well as findings recorded from image analysis of DNA. Histopathological grading was found to be of poor reproducibility (71.1%). While statistically significant differences were found to exist between survival curves of Grades I and III patients, grading proved to be of minor importance to prognostic assessment of the individual case, with the number of G-II cases being relatively high (42.7%). Results of better reproducibility were achievable from the quantitative morphological method of nuclear image analysis. Its forecasting value with regard to good or poor prognosis was clearly higher than that of histopathological grading, and the number of cases with obscure or dubious prognosis was clearly lower (18.9%). DNA ploidy measurement, using DNA histogram types according to Auer (1980), has proved to be another method by which prognostically favourable and unfavourable cases can be distinguished from each other with statistical significance, though its classification quality (70.5%) still was unambiguously below that achievable by nuclear image analysis (79%).

Adult↗

Use of nuclear image cytometry, histopathological grading and DNA cytometry to make breast cancer prognosis more objective.

Feulgen-stained tissue sections of 187 invasive ductal carcinomas (94 with lymph node metastases; mean follow-up: 44 months) were studied using computer assisted image cytometry. Based on survival time, the prognostic significance of nuclear image analysis was compared with the results using conventional histopathological grading according to Bloom and Richardson, as well as with image cytometric DNA measurements. The histopathological grading has the disadvantage of poor interobserver reproducibility (71.1%). Despite statistically significant differences between the actuarial survival curves of grade 1 and grade 3 patients, the prognostic significance of the conventional grading method for individual patients seems to be low and the number of grade 2 cases (42.8%) is large. The quantitative morphological method for analyzing nuclear images gives more reproducible results. Compared to histopathological grading, the predictive values for good or poor prognosis are clearly higher and the number of cases with uncertain prognosis is significantly smaller (20.9%). DNA ploidy measurements also make it possible to distinguish statistically significant differences between favorable and unfavorable prognoses with respect to over-all survival time. However, the classification accuracy based on the best single parameter (DNA-histogram type according to Auer) is 70.2% compared with 78.9% for nuclear image analysis.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Prognostic significance of image cytometry DNA parameters in tissue sections from breast and gastric cancers.

The ploidy patterns determined for several groups of mammary and gastric carcinomas were subjected to a set of statistical analyses. The DNA distribution patterns were derived from image cytometry measurements of each of at least 150 Feulgen-stained tumour cell nuclei from tissue sections from 84 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast and from 30 tubular adenocarcinomas of the stomach. Widely used DNA parameters (mean value, standard error of the mean, DNA-malignancy grade, 2c deviation index and the exceeding rate according to Böcking, DNA-histogram types according to Auer, DNA-index according to Atkin) were analysed by univariate and multivariate statistics. The DNA histograms were also analysed multiparametrically. The results showed different prognostic groups of the breast tumours to be distinguishable on single parameters with a reliability of up to 66%. None of these parameters permitted the discrimination of gastric carcinomas. Although the DNA-histogram-analysis increased accuracy by nearly 10%, compared with the classification accuracy of the best single parameters, it is still far from being applicable in clinical diagnostics. The use of further image cytometry parameters will be required for such applications.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Histological grading of breast cancer. Interobserver, reproducibility and prognostic significance.

A study was conducted to assess the reproducibility and prognostic significance of the histopathological grading by using the criteria of Bloom and Richardson. 166 breast carcinomas of the invasive ductal type (NOS - not otherwise specified) according to the WHO criteria, selected from the biopsy material of the years 1980 to 1988 were investigated. 85 of the patients presented axillary lymph node metastases in the mastectomy specimens. A satisfactory correlation of histopathological grades assessed by three pathologists was found in 72.3% of all cases. Fifteen cases (9%) were over- and 31 cases (18.7%) were underestimated compared with an expert's grade. A disagreement of two grades occurred in one case only. In comparison of grade 1 and grade 3 tumours as well as of grade 2 and grade 3 tumours significant differences in the overall survival could be found. Irrespective of statistically significant differences between the three grades in actuarial survival, the histopathological grading is of rather low value for the prediction of prognosis of individual patients.

Breast Neoplasms↗

[Cell nucleus analyses on the heterogenicity, proliferation and metastasis of malignant tumors].

The heterogeneity of primary and metastatic tumors was studied on the basis of their nuclear images. Feulgen-stained tissue sections of invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast (84 primaries, 15 lymph node metastases), adenocarcinomas of the stomach (30 primaries) and colorectal adenocarcinomas (30 primaries, 10 lymph node metastases) were investigated by high resolution image analysis. At least 150 tumour cell nuclei as well as 50 diploid reference cells were measured in each case. By means of multivariate statistical analysis significant differences could be found between primary tumors with and without lymph node involvement or distant metastases. In contrast, in a majority of the cases primary tumors and their metastases were largely identical with regard to the nuclear image and the DNA content. Features with high discriminant power for differentiation of metastasising tumors and malignant tumors without metastatic spread were the nuclear area, the number of coarse chromatin particles and other descriptors of the chromatin structure. The DNA content as a useful tool for the prediction of prognosis was of minor importance for the prediction of the metastatic phenotype.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Grading, staging, DNA content and prognosis of invasive ductal breast cancer].

The importance to prognostication of grading, staging, and image cytometric DNA parameters was investigated in 84 cases of invasive ductal mammary carcinoma. Correlations between tumour size, lymph node condition, and five-year survival were shown to be statistically significant. Similar correlations were found to exist between the grade of histopathological malignancy and various DNA parameters derived from the DNA histogram. However, the relevance of all the above single factors has proved to be of limited value in the individual tumour case. Multivariate analysis of DNA parameters, 80.3 percent in probability, was found to enable the best prognostic prediction of an individual course. These results suggested nuclear DNA content to be an objective marker of biological behaviour of a given tumour.

Adult↗

Application of malignancy-associated changes of the cervical epithelium in a hierarchic classification concept.

For almost 10 years malignancy-associated changes (MAC) have been consistently found by means of high resolution image analysis of apparently normal uterine cervical cells. This study was performed on Feulgen-stained monolayer specimens from 55 healthy women and 19 patients suffering from various stages of cervical neoplasia. About 200 epithelial cells and 30 trout red blood cells in each case were measured by image cytometry at a spatial resolution of 0.27 micron. The philosophy of classification is based on the hierarchic stepwise definition of 'truly normal' specimens by removal of all suspicious specimens, characterized by the presence of atypical cells or subvisually altered cell populations. The suitability of MAC-sensitive classifiers, in combination with classifiers for the recognition of atypical cells, was demonstrated. The demands of automated prescreening were met by several decision tree procedures (95-100% sensitivity, 85-95% specificity). By focussing on the MAC evidence a new risk group from seemingly healthy women may be defined.

Cervix Uteri↗

Grading and prognosis of invasive ductal mammary carcinoma by nuclear image analysis in tissue sections.

In primary tumours of 84 patients with invasive ductal carcinomas the prognostic significance of the nuclear image was assessed. Feulgen stained tissue sections were investigated by image cytometry. At least 150 tumour cell nuclei as well as 50 lymphocytes or trout erythrocytes for diploid reference were measured in each specimen. 35 morphological features, including those of the chromatin pattern, were derived from the digitized nuclear images. By means of multivariate discriminant analysis, significant differences could be found between tumours of 41 node-negative and 43 node-positive patients. The differences were sufficiently large to distinguish subgroups with low and high risk of lymph node involvement. Irrespective of lymph node status, 66 patients with an adequate 5 year follow-up were divided into two groups according to their survival time. The classification results revealed a clear relationship between characteristics of the nuclear image and prognosis. By image cytometry it is thus possible to separate both node-positive and node-negative patients into subgroups with increasing risk of recurrence. The results indicate that nuclear image analysis provides prognostic information in addition to established prognostic factors, such as histological grade and tumour stage.

Adult↗

Quantitative morphology of primary and metastatic tumors: comparative studies on tissue sections.

Feulgen-stained tissue sections of 84 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast (IDC), 30 colorectal adenocarcinomas (ACC), 30 gastric adenocarcinomas (ACG), 10 lymph node metastases of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and 11 lymph node metastases of malignant melanomas (MM) were investigated by image cytometry at a spatial resolution of 0.25 micron. At least 150 tumor cell nuclei were measured in each case. By means of multivariate statistical analysis the specificity of the nuclear image for different histological tumor types could be demonstrated in lymph node metastases of SCC and MM. Nuclear image analysis therefore may be a useful tool for pathologists in making the differential diagnosis on metastases of unknown primary tumors. For IDC, ACG and ACC the metastatic phenotype could be identified by nuclear image analysis of the primary tumors. The prognostic significance of the nuclear image has been proved in adenocarcinomas of the stomach. Features of chromatin structure played an important role in both the diagnosis of doubtful histological tumor types and the prediction of lymph node involvement or prognostic outcome.

Cell Nucleus↗

Frequency and diagnostic reliability of subvisual morphologic markers for malignancy in the cervical epithelium.

Nowadays the existence of malignancy associated changes in the epithelium of the cervix uteri is commonly accepted. There are some differences in the view about the nature of these changes. Some hints were given by previous studies for the epithelial changes to exhibit possibly early preneoplastic aspects. In this study subvisually morphologic changes were detected in intermediate cells of the cervical smears by means of image analysis (ZYPAB-3-system). Our investigations on 117 patients suffering from cervical neoplasias as well as healthy controls have shown that the malignancy associated changes are not only limited to about two third of patients with cervical neoplasias but also existent in close to a fourth of healthy women. Those healthy people are considered to be at higher risk for developing a cervical neoplasia than other healthy women.

Carcinoma↗