Delay to formalin fixation may invalidate hormone receptors and HER2 analyses. Invalid results of tumor markers could significantly alter the type of adjuvant therapy a patient receives and potentially impact outcome. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of progressive delay to formalin fixation on breast cancer biomarkers. Ten palpable invasive breast cancers were resected and underwent immediate gross evaluation. For each case, the procured tumor was divided into eight parts and consecutively fixed after 0, 10, 30 min, 1, 2, 4, and 8 h; one section was kept in saline and stored overnight at 41C. Two tissue microarray blocks were constructed. Estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2 immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization were carried out. Statistical analyses including non-parametric sign test, exact McNemar's test and Page's L test were used. All 10 cases were invasive ductal carcinomas. Q score X6 was identified in five cases for estrogen receptor and four for progesterone receptor. Mean Q score started to decline at the 2 h mark for estrogen receptor and 1 h mark for progesterone receptor. Lowest score was at 8 h mark for estrogen receptor and overnight for progesterone receptor. HER2 fluorescence in situ hybridization started to be compromised for interpretation at the 1 h mark and became statistically significant at the 2 h mark (Po0.03). To avoid delay to formalin fixation as a factor negatively affecting on breast biomarkers, we recommend not to delay formalin fixation for more than 1 h and not to store specimens overnight.

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A partial cDNA (pAM1) encoding a major airway mucin glycoprotein with novel tandem repetitive sequence has recently been cloned (Shankar, V., M. S. Gilmore, R. C. Elkins, and G. P. Sachdev. 1994. Biochem. J. 300:295-298). In this article, we report additional new sequence derived by 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends technique. The sequence corresponds to a stop codon, 3'-untranslated region of 458 bp, a polyadenylation signal, and poly A+ tail, and represents the extreme carboxy terminus of MUC8. A plasmid construct (pAM3) in pBluescript was generated by in-frame ligation of pAM1 to the 479-bp 3'UTR of MUC8. A 5'-end 325-bp fragment of this cDNA subcloned into the protein fusion and expression vector pET28b(+) was used to generate fusion protein under the control of T7 promoter. The purified fusion protein as well as synthetic peptide corresponding to the MUC8 repeat sequence (TSCPRPLQEGTPGS) were used to raise polyclonal antibodies in rabbits. The antiserum to the fusion protein and to the synthetic peptide reacted with the deglycosylated major tracheobronchial mucin. Immunohistochemical studies using the above antibodies localized the MUC8 protein product to submucosal glands in human tracheal epithelium. Furthermore, the gene from which this cDNA is derived, was mapped to chromosome 12 using DNA from a panel of human-mouse somatic cell hybrids. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to assign the regional localization to 12q24.3. Since the eight known human mucin genes map to other chromosomes, we have named this gene MUC8, in accordance with mucin gene nomenclature.

Our objective was to recognize the association of autoimmune disease (AD) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and understand how this association could affect prognosis and management of both diseases. We describe our cohort of 10 patients and 34 patients reported in the English literature in addition to ten cohort studies. Interestingly, four cases showed improvement in AD after 5-azacitidine treatment. The mechanism(s) of the association between AD and MDS are discussed. Treatment could be targeted against AD, MDS or both, though based on recent reports, treating MDS with hypomethylating agents alone could improve the associated AD.

The combination of CD99 and FLI-1p is the method of choice for the diagnosis of EWS/PNET. EWRS1 (22q12) dual-colour, break-apart rearrangement probe FISH should be used as a confirmatory test in addition to CD99 and FLI1-p due to its high specificity.