Poorly differentiated synovial sarcoma: a case report.
Poorly differentiated synovial sarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumor. We studied a case arising in the pleural cavity of a young subject, characterised by the presence of spindle cell, small cell, and large epithelioid cell areas. We performed stains for mucosubstances and analysed the expression of cytokeratins 5/6, 7, 8, 18, 19, CEA, CD34, Ber-Ep4 and calretinin to characterize the phenotype of this neoplasm. We furthermore assessed immunohistochemically the presence of p53, Bcl-2, Bax and caspase 3, four apoptotic markers, to evaluate a relationship between apoptotic activity and the behaviour of this tumor. Our findings showed a strong presence of calretinin, p53 and Bcl-2 in all three areas. The possibility that poorly differentiated synovial sarcoma could be calretinin-positive was a new data, to our knowledge, and it could be of some importance in diagnostic pathology. Moreover, the negligible positivity for Bax and caspase 3 suggested that the minor role of programmed cell death could be one of the causes of the aggressive behaviour of this tumor. These data also suggest that the reduction of apoptotic phenomena in poorly differentiated synovial sarcoma could be considered one of the major mechanisms of tumoral growth.
Cappello
F
F
Institute of Pathological Anatomy, University of Palermo, Italy. FRANCAPP@HOTMAIL.COM
Bellafiore
M
M
Bucchieri
F
F
Balsano
G
G
Palma
A
A
Zummo
G
G
D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D064032:Calbindin 2; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000378:metabolism; D013584:Sarcoma, Synovial / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
C494826:BAX protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C576764:CALB2 protein, human; D064032:Calbindin 2; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases