The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of the HER-2 membrane protein and other clinical-pathological parameters such as: histological size of the tumor, degree of the tumor's differentiation, presence of vascular invasion and presence of metastases in regional lymph nodes, in cases of ductal infiltrative breast cancer. We have investigated 56 cases of ductal infiltrative breast cancer. In all patients a mastectomy with a dissection of axillary lymph nodes has been performed. All tissue samples, taken by biopsy, were embedded in the paraffin, stained by hematoxylin-eosin technique and screened, and evaluation was performed by using a semiquantitative method of the immunohistochemical expression of the HER-2 protein. A decrease of the protein HER-2 expression was noticed in cases of an increase of the tumor's diameter above 50 mm. Increased expression of the HER-2 protein was noticed in cases of moderate (grade II) and poor (grade III) differentiation of carcinoma, as well as in cases where there was no metastases in the regional lymph nodes. No relationship has been observed between the expression of HER-2 and occurrence of vascular invasion. In cases of ductal infiltrative breast cancer the expression of HER-2 protein is in correlation with the size and degree of tumor's differentiation, as well as with the presence of metastases in regional lymph nodes.

The aim of this paper is to establish by immunohistochemistry the expression of keratin 7 in inflammatory-regenerative flat bowel mucosa and in different grades of epithelial dysplasia regarding the sub-units expressed in normal and carcinomatous colonic mucosa. Biopsy specimens from 270 patients were examined: 74 were classified as inflammatory-regenerative changes and 196 as dysplastic lesions. There were 108 cases of mild dysplasia, 58 cases of moderate and 30 cases of severe dysplasia, respectively). Demonstration of location and intensity of cytokeratin 7 staining was performed by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibody (anti-cytokeratin 7). Findings of cytokeratin 7 in dysplastic lesions were compared with those in normal mucosa, inflammatory -regenerative mucosa and adenocarcinoma. Cytokeratin 7 is not found in normal colonic mucosa. In inflammatory-regenerative mucosa it was found in solitary cells in small number of cases. It is found in all cases of epithelial dysplasia and its expression showed no difference regarding moderate and severe dysplasia. In few cases of adenocarcinoma, cytokeratin 7 is found in traces and showed minimal staining intensity. Having in mind that cytokeratine 7 is primarily found in dysplastic lesions of the flat colonic mucosa it can be a valuable diagnostic tool in the histological interpretation of epithelial dysplasia.

UNLABELLED The aim of this research is to establish by immunohistochemistry if there is a change in the expression of collagen type IV, as a substitute of basement membrane, in development of epithelial dysplasia in chronically inflamed colon mucosa. METHODS Biopsy specimens from 270 patients were examined: 74 were classified as inflammatory-regenerative and 196 as dysplastic lesions. There were 108 cases of mild dysplasia, 58 cases of moderate and 30 cases severe dysplasia, respectively. Visualisation of collagen IV and its way of expression within basement membrane of glandular crypts was performed by immunohistochemistry and then compared with findings in normal colon mucosa and colon adenocarcinoma tissue. RESULTS Changes in the expression of collagen IV comprised of its focal irregularities, diffuse thinning and/or thickening, focal interruptions or its complete absence. Significant changes in the expression of collagen IV in relation to normal mucosa already occur in inflammatory-regenerative mucosa. In mild dysplasia, these changes are more intensive in relation to those in inflammatory altered mucosa as well as at severe dysplasia in relation to moderate dysplasia. Changes in the expression of collagen IV in severe dysplasia are significantly more serious than in moderate dysplasia but are identical to those in colon adenocarcinoma tissue. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that change in the expression of collagen IV is in correlation to a degree of epithelial dysplasia that developed in flat chronically inflamed colon mucosa.

Cilj. Imunohistohemijskom metodom ispitivano je da li pri nastanku epitelne displazije u ravnoj, hronično inflamiranoj mukozi kolona, dolazi do promjene broja, oblika i načina raspoređivanja kriptalnih i perikriptalnih endokronih stanica (ES). Metoda. Pregledani su biopsijski uzorci 270 pacijenata, medu kojima su 74 okarakterisana kao upalno-regenerativne promjene, a 198 slučajeva kao displastične lezije. Lagana displazija nađena je u 108, srednja u 58, a teška u 30 slučajeva. Brojnost i lokacija ES-a, koje su imunohistohemijski vizuelizirane hromograninom A, određivani su unutar kripti i u perikriptalnoj zoni, te komparirani sa nalazom u normalnoj sluznici i u tkivu adenokarcinoma kolona. Rezultat. Kod lagane displazije, u odnosu na upalno-regeneratorno promijenjenu mukozu, zapaženo je signifikantno povećanje broja kriptalnih i perikriptalnih ES-a. Kod srednje, u odnosu na laganu displaziju, uočeno je povećanje broja kriptalnih ES-a, dok je broj perikriptalnih stanica ostao nepromijenjen. Kod teške, u odnosu na srednju displaziju, te u tkivu adenokarcinoma kolona, nije uočena promjena broja kriptalnih ES-a, ali je zapaženo povećanje broja perikriptalnih ES-a. Zaključak. Signifikantno povećanje broja kriptalnih i perikriptalnih ES-a u stadiju lagane displazije u odnosu na upalno-regenerirajucu mukozu, može se smatrati jednim od relevantnih patoloških parametara početnog razvoja epitelne displazije. ES u displasticnim lezijama ravne mukoze kolona nisu neoplastične prirode, s obzirom da nisu verifikovane atipije njihovog oblika i međusobnog odnosa.