Elastosis in lung carcinoma: Immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and clinical studies

Abstract

Elastosis is the pathological finding of focal deposits of elastic fibers in abnormal amounts within tissue. It is well described in the case of infiltrating carcinoma of the breast, but elastosis in lung carcinoma has not been previously documented in detail. We investigated the characteristics of elastosis in lung carcinoma with light and electron microscopies, and immunohistochemistry for alpha-1-antitrypsin. A total of 184 surgically resected primary lung carcinomas were studied. Elastosis was detected in adenocarcinomas (85/106), squamous cell carcinomas (11/60) and adenosquamous carcinomas (5/7), but not in small-cell carcinomas (n = 4) or large-cell carcinomas (n = 5). The degree of elastosis in each case was divided into one of five grades, graded as 3+ to 1-. The score of elastosis was significantly higher in adenocarcinoma than that in squamous-cell carcinoma (P<0.01). In the cases of adenocarcinoma, the mean score of elastosis in the well-differentiated type (WD n = 43) was higher than that in the moderately differentiated (MD) (n = 39; P = 0.012) and poorly differentiated (PD) types (n = 24; P<0.01). The mean score of elastosis in MD adenocarcinoma was also higher than that in the PD type (P<0.01). Light- and electron-microscopic analyses revealed that these elastic fibers in elastosis were composed of aggregates of thick mature and fine immature elastic fibers, and were positive for alpha-1-antitrypsin. It is suggested that both degraded elastic fibers and newly synthesized fibers are contained in the elastosis of lung carcinoma. Although no significant evidence was detected to suggest any correlation between elastosis and the degree of tumor invasion, the survival curves of adenocarcinomas with elastosis showed a significantly improved prognosis than of those without elastosis in the cases of stages IA and IB (n = 52; P = 0.026).

Elastin Accumulation in Actinic Cheilitis with Different Degrees of Epithelial Dysplasia

“…It is argumented whether the elastic material is originated from elastic fiber synthesis or from degradation, mainly of collagen fibers (Fukushima et al;Just et al, 2007). Others indicate that the pathogenesis of solar elastosis is attributed to the synthesis of elastic material by fibrocytes that have been altered by ultra-violet rays (UV)…”

“…The expression of elastin was analyzed, by a single observer, in up to 10 fields at 100x magnification, and the degree of elastosis was evaluated according to the scale of values (scores +3 to 0), adapted from Fukushima et al (2000). The elastosis score +3 corresponded to a diffuse increase of elastic fibers with mass elastosis pattern; the score +2, was a diffuse increase of elastic fibers; the score +1, partial increase with focal clusters of elastic fibers; the score zero, corresponded to the same characteristics as the control group.…”

Prognostic impact of nm23‐H1 and PCNA expression in pathologic stage I non‐small cell lung cancer

“…Several clinicopathologic prognostic factors for stage I NSCLC have been identified. These factors include blood vessel involvement [21,22], lymphatic vessel involvement, degree of nuclear atypia [21], mitotic index [21,22], degree of histologic differentiation [22,23], serum CEA level [24], and other histologic parameters associated with stromal invasion, such as scar grade [25].…”

Comparative analysis of SERPINA1 gene expression in tumor cell lines

“…Изменение уровня ААТ рассматривается в качестве диагностического и прогностического маркера. Иммуногистохимиче-ские исследования показывают, что пациенты с ААТ-позитивными аденокарциномами желудка и легких имеют наименее благоприятный прогноз выживания [9]. Увеличение секреции ААТ обна-ружено в сыворотке крови при опухолях предста-тельной железы [10].…”