Masato Yamasaki

Argyrophil Small Cell Carcinomas of the Uterine Cervix

SummaryThirteen cases of argyrophil small cell carcinomas of the cervix were reviewed. Seven of nine patients, who have been followed up for more than 5 years, died. These tumors were found to be aggressive in their behavior. Immunohistochemical studies to localize several peptide hormones were positive for gastrin in two of five cases.

A clinicopathologic study of endometrial carcinomas with argyrophil cells.

Abstract Of 41 endometrial carcinomas examined with Grimelius staining, 9 tumors were found to be composed predominantly or partially of argyrophil cells. They were 4 well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, 4 moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas, and 1 adenosquamous carcinoma. Argyrophil granules were found mainly in the apical portion and sometimes in the entire cytoplasm of glandular tumor cells in the well- and moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas. In the adenosquamous carcinoma, argyrophil granules were located in the squamous cells as well as in the grandular cells. The distribution of argyrophil granules was in parallel with that of secretory granules identified by electron microscopy. A clinicopathologic study of these 9 cases revealed that the patients with endometrial argyrophil cell carcinoma tended to be associated more frequently with obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus than the patients with usual endometrial carcinoma.

Immunohistochemical Demonstration of Tumor Antigen Ta-4 in Gynecologic Tumors

Tumor antigen TA-4, raised against human cervical squamous cell carcinoma, was studied by an immunoperoxidase method in various gynecologic tumors. TA-4 was detected invariably in normal differentiated cervical squamous cells. It was also found infrequently in normal glandular cells of the cervix, but not in the endometrium. In squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix, TA-4 was positive in the differentiated cells regardless of invasiveness or histological type. It was demonstrated in some adenocarcinomas of the cervix, and less frequently in those of the endometrium. In ovarian tumors, TA-4 was localized occasionally in a variable number of glandular tumor cells of serous, mucinous, endometrioid, and clear cell carcinomas. Only a few transitional cells contained TA-4 in a Brenner tumor. Squamous components of ovarian tumors, both benign and malignant, were frequently positive for TA-4.

Strumal carcinoid of the ovary: histological, ultrastructural, and immunohistological studies with anti-human thyroglobulin.

Abstract A strumal carcinoid arising in a benign cystic teratoma of the right ovary was reported in a 40-year-old woman. The solid tumor was histologically a trabecular carcinoid tumor associated intimately with thyroid follicle-like structures. By electron microscopy, spherical dense core secretory granules were found in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. Final diagnosis of strumal carcinoid, however, was established in the present tumor by the immunohistological confirmation of thyroid tissue with anti-human thyroglobulin.

Immunohistochemical demonstration of peptide hormones in endometrial carcinomas.

Sixty‐eight endometrial carcinomas were examined histochemically and immunohistochemically for the presence of amine‐containing or neurohormonal peptide‐containing cells, particularly in relation to argyrophil cells. Argyrophil cells, detected in 43 of the 68 endometrial carcinomas by the Grimelius method, were subgrouped into two types according to the distribution of argyrophil granules and the shape of the tumor cells. Type I was found in 7 tumors and type II in 39; 3 tumors contained both cell types. The argyrophilia of type II cells was diminished in varying degrees in some tumors by diastase digestion, although it was unchanged in type I argyrophil cells. Indoleamine was detected by the formaldehyde‐induced fluorescence method in type I argyrophil cells of four carcinomas. Immunohistochemically, somatostatin‐reactive cells were found in two well‐differentiated adenocarcinomas with argyrophilia; many of these cells corresponded to some of the type I argyrophil cells, although some were nonargyrophilic. Two adenosquamous cell carcinomas with type II argyrophil cells also contained cells that were immunoreactive with antisera against gastrin; however, they were nonargyrophilic.

Endometrial Argyrophil Cell Adenocarcinoma with Indole- or Catecholamine Precursor Uptake and Decarboxylation

The capacity for indole- or catecholamine precursor uptake and decarboxylation of the argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium was examined by fluorescence microscopy, microspectrofluorometry, and biochemical analyses. Both argyrophil and nonargyrophil cell adenocarcinomas of the human endometrium have been grown serially in nude mice. With the use of the formaldehyde-induced wet-histofluorescence method, yellowish green fluorescence was demonstrated in the cytoplasm of some cells of the argyrophil cell adenocarcinomas after exposure in vitro and in vivo to L-dopa. When 5-hydroxytrytophan was administered in vitro and in vivo to these tumors, an intense yellow fluorescence was also obtained in the cytoplasm. These fluorescent products were located in the argyrophil cells and corresponded to argyrophil granules. Microspectrofluorometrical and biochemical analyses strongly suggested that the yellowish green fluorescent products were dopamine and the yellow ones were serotonin, produced by decarboxylation of each amine precursor.

Argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium

Abstract Out of 11 endometrial adenocarcinomas examined with Grimelius staining, an argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma was found in a 64-year-old gravida 3, para 1 woman. Her chief complaint was irregular genital bleeding. Numerous polypoid tumor masses occupying the uterine cavity were revealed by surgery. The tumor was diagnosed at first as a well-differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma with mucin production, by conventional pathology. Most of the tumor cells, however, were found to contain the argyrophil granules, especially in the apical portion of cytoplasm. This appears to be the first reported case of argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium.

Improvement of long-term prognosis in patients with ovarian cancers by adjuvant sizofiran immunotherapy: a prospective randomized controlled study.

The effect of immunotherapy using sizofiran (SPG) on the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancers was prospectively studied in a total of 68 patients, who were randomly assigned to either a cisplatin, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (PAC) therapy group or a PAC plus SPG combination therapy group.The survival rate was significantly higher in patients with stage Ic, II or III cancers treated with the PAC plus SPG combination, compared with the patients treated with PAC alone. In the SPG-receiving patients with stage Ic or more advanced cancers who were treated with four cycles or more of PAC, the outcome was improved (Cox-Mantel, p=0.074; generalized Kruskal-Wallis, p=0.032). Similar improvement was also observed in the patients with non-serous adenocarcinomas (Cox-Mantel, p-0.076; generalized Krukal-Wallis, p=0.045). No side effects attributable to SPG were recorded.The present results suggest that the use of SPG in combination with long-term chemotherapy improves the postoperative prognosis in ovarian cancer patients.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma arising in a benign cystic teratoma of the ovary

Abstract A rare case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma arising in a benign cystic teratoma of the right ovary is reported in a 42-year-old nulliparous married woman. Two-thirds of the tumor was occupied by a benign cystic teratoma, from which the remaining solid tumor was arising. The solid tumor was composed of both fibrous and histiocytic elements, showing diverse histologic findings: a storiform pattern of the fibrous elements, admixture of histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells, clumps of foam cells, and a patchy infiltrate of lymphocytes. The malignancy of the present tumor was established by assessing the bizarre neoplastic giant cells in the sarcomatous areas and also by the metastatic recurrence. This appears to be the first reported case of a malignant fibrous histiocytoma arising in a benign cystic teratoma.

Argyrophil cells in the endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary

Of 42 endometrioid carcinomas of the ovary examined with Grimelius staining, 19 tumors were found to have argyrophil cells. Argyrophil cells were subgrouped into two types according to the distribution of the argyrophil granules. Type I cells contained argyrophil granules in the basal part of the cytoplasm, and were found in four tumors. Type II cells contained argyrophil granules mainly in the apical portion or throughout the whole cytoplasm, and were found in 14 tumors. Both type I and II cells were found in different areas of one tumor. In type II cells, the distribution of argyrophil granules was similar to that of mucins, and the apical argyrophilia was diminished in varying degrees in some tumors after diastase digestion. The distribution of argyrophil granules paralleled that of secretory granules identified by electron microscopy in the representative tumors of each type. In the immunohistochemical study, somatostatin was found in a tumor with both types of argyrophil cells. Somatostatin‐containing cells generally corresponded to type I cells, but were less numerous than argyrophil cells.