Teruyo Nishino

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.

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.

Immunohistochemical demonstration of amylase in endometrial carcinomas.

SummaryCellular localization of amylase in 100 endometrial carcinomas was studied by the immunoperoxidase method using an antibody to human pancreatic amylase. Amylase activity was observed in 12 tumors, localizing in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. They were seven well-differentiated adenocarci-nomas, one poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, one papillary serous carcinoma, two mucinous carcinomas, and one adenocarcinoma with squamous differentiation. Of these, many amylase reactive cells were found in one well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, one papillary serous carcinoma, and one mucinous carcinoma. The remaining nine tumors contained a few to a moderate number of amylase reactive cells. Although serum levels of amylase were not examined in the present study, the results suggest that amylase may be a potential tumor marker for some endometrial carcinomas.

Detection of chromogranin in argyrophil cells of endometrial carcinoma

Normal and neoplastic endometrial tissues were examined immunohistochemically for chromogranin which was shown to be a specific marker for neuroendocrine cells. All 20 normal endometriums and 20 endometrial carcinomas without argyrophilia were chromogranin negative. Endometrial carcinomas with argyrophilia tested were composed of three groups; 10 with type I argyrophil cells, 20 with type II argyrophil cells, and 10 with both type I and II argyrophil cells. Type I argyrophil cells of 20 endometrial carcinomas were all chromogranin positive. Chromogranin immunoreactivity was also intimately correlated with the Grimelius reactivity in type II argyrophil cells of 19 endometrial carcinomas, 13 with only type II argyrophil cells and 6 with mixed type of argyrophil cells. Chromogranin was absent in type II argyrophil cells of 11 endometrial carcinomas, 7 with type II argyrophil cells and 4 with mixed type of argyrophil cells. Chromogranin negativity was related to the disappearance of argyrophilia after diastase digestion in 5 of these 11 tumors, and also partly to mucinous substances in the remaining 6 tumors. In conclusion, the results obtained suggest that some of type II argyrophil cells are neuroendocrine in nature as well as type I argyrophil cells.

A rare malignant ovarian mixed germ cell tumor containing pancreatic tissue with islet cells.

A rare ovarian mixed germ cell tumor containing pancreatic tissue with islet cells was reported. The tumor, weighing 4,500 g, arose in the left ovary of a 29-year-old nulliparous unmarried woman. On section, the tumor was largely solid, but with small- to medium-sized multiple cysts which contained mucinous fluid. Microscopically, the tumor was composed predominantly of immature pancreatic tissue with islet cells budding from the glandular structures, where a few aldehyde-fuchsin-positive cells and some argyrophil cells were seen. Also, insulin-, glucagon-, or somatostatin-reactive cells were localized in these structures by immunohistochemistry. Multiple cysts were covered by a monolayer of benign-looking mucinous epithelium. The tumor contained elements of dysgerminoma, endodermal sinus tumor, immature teratoma, and mucinous adenocarcinoma as minor components. Two years after the surgery followed by chemotherapy with vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide, the patient became pregnant and delivered a healthy female infant.

A case of primary adenocarcinoma of the vagina.

膣原発腺癌は極めてまれな疾患であり, diethylstilbestrolなどの非ステロイド系エストロゲンと関連があるとされるclear cell carcinomaを除くと, その報告も少ない. 症例は47歳で, 組織学的には中等度分化型の類内膜型腺癌であり, 膣壁擦過細胞診では, 腫瘍性背景のなかに大小不同を有する少数の小型癌細胞が比較的散在性にみられ, 癌細胞はN/C比大で核小体も認められるが染色質の増加は著明ではなく, 捺印細胞診でも極めて類似した腺癌細胞が認められた.