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Introduction: We retrospectively analyzed 6 cases of adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) treated during a 12-year period at a single institution. Patients and Methods: We reviewed the clinical and pathological records and updated the follow-up of the patients treated and observed in our institution between 1995 and 2006. Results: All 6 patients underwent surgery for ACC. The mean age at diagnosis was 53.3 years (range 36–72). The median follow-up was 50.7 months (range 13–132). Three patients were clinically classified as stage II, 2 as stage III and 1 as stage IV with bone metastasis. The 5-year overall survival was 62.5%. Recurrences or metastases occurred in 4 patients. Two patients without reoperation for metastases died, and others with radical treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, transcatheter arterial embolization and/or radiation remain alive. Conclusions: In our experience, transcatheter arterial embolization was effective against liver metastasis.

The aim of our study was to investigate the relationships between the expression of laminin in the testis and spermatogenesis, and the basement membrane (BM) of testicular tubules in fertile and infertile men. Testicular tissue samples were collected from the testes of 9 patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA), 9 patients with maturation arrest (MA), and 15 patients with Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCO). In testicular tissue, laminin was identified by staining with polyclonal antibodies. Serum folliclestimulating hormone (FSH), lutenizing hormone (LH), and testosterone were determined by chemiluminescence assays. In seminal plasma, laminin was estimated using a double-antibody enzyme immunoassay. BM thickness was significantly correlated with testicular tubule diameter (r 5 20.49, P 5 .004) and FSH (r 5 0.52, P 5 .008). The b2 chain of laminin was most expressed on the inner BM of testicular tubules. The laminin index for the b2 chain in SCO was significantly higher than in OA (P , .0001) and MA (P 5 .03). The mean seminal laminin levels in SCO were significantly lower than in OA (P , .001). We demonstrated that overabundance of the b2 chain of laminin is associated with increased BM thickness and is possibly related to spermatogenic dysfunction.

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