Expression of maspin in papillary Ta/T1 bladder neoplasms.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to evaluate maspin expression in bladder urothelial papillary neoplasms and test the results for correlation with clinicopathological parameters.


METHODS
A total of 111 urothelial neoplasms from 66 patients were evaluated: pathological examination of primary tumours disclosed 48 pTa and 18pT1. Fourteen additional biopsies, negative for neoplasm, were collected as control biopsies. For each of the 111 neoplastic samples and for the 14 control cases maspin and MIB1 immunoreactivity was evaluated. The immunohistochemical reactions of the 66 primary neoplasms were used for statistical analysis when the disease-free interval, presence and number of relapses, and progression of the disease were tested, whereas all of the 111 tumors were used when the association between the maspin pattern and histological grade and/or pT were evaluated. Thirty-three patients with primary pTa papillary neoplasms (68.7%) and 11 out of eighteen with pT1 (61%), had subsequent relapses of disease. For maspin immunoreactivity the presence/absence of nuclear staining and the pattern of staining were considered. Four patterns of reactivity were recognized and were used for statistical analyses.


RESULTS
A statistical association was found between the maspin pattern and pT, histological grade and nuclear staining.


CONCLUSIONS
In papillary urothelial neoplasms, maspin has a pattern of distribution that is associated with the histological grade and pathological stage, and this probably reflects its different activities in the neoplastic process.
Blandamura
Stella
S
Section of Pathological Anatomy, Department of Medico-Diagnostic Sciences and Special Therapies, University of Padova, Italy. stella.blandamura@unipd.it
D'Alessandro
Emiliano
E
Giacomelli
Luciano
L
Guzzardo
Vincenza
V
Battanello
Wanni
W
Repele
Marcello
M
Ninfo
Vito
V
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015843:Serpins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
C085344:SERPIN-B5; D015843:Serpins