title: Challenges and controversies in the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma: Part 2. Malignant mesothelioma subtypes, pleural synovial sarcoma, molecular and prognostic aspects of mesothelioma, BAP1, aquaporin-1 and microRNA.
abstract: Pleural malignant mesothelioma (MM) includes several unusual and even rare but distinctive histological subtypes, in addition to the usual subdivision into epithelioid, biphasic and sarcomatoid MM. Criteria for discrimination between fibrous pleuritis versus desmoplastic mesothelioma include evidence of neoplastic invasion for diagnosis of desmoplastic MM, but this histological assessment is complicated by the recently-described 'fake fat phenomenon' in cases of fibrous pleuritis. The distinction between biphasic and monophasic synovial sarcoma of the pleura versus biphasic and sarcomatoid MM can be problematical and is most cogently based upon molecular detection of the t(X;18) translocation, whereas a clear diagnosis of MM for a pleural tumour histologically resembling synovial sarcoma is favoured by a negative result for this translocation and, probably, microRNA evidence supportive of a diagnosis of MM. Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) is a molecule involved in the growth of MM cells, and yet is a factor reported to correlate with improved survival rates for MM with an epithelioid component, in comparison to AQP1-poor MM, as assessed from AQP1 expression by epithelioid MM cells only (apart from co-expression by stromal endothelial cells in addition to the tumour cells). Recent reports have also focused upon germline mutations in the BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1), not only in cases of familial mesothelioma, but also BAP1 deletion in sporadic MM. Prognostic factors for MM include not only the histological subtypes, but other independent variables that include (among others), AQP1 expression by mesothelioma cells, the clinical status of the patient, the serum neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio and blood thrombocytosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Pathology, SA Pathology, Flinders Medical Centre, , Adelaide, South Australia.
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Glen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van Zandwijk
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klebe
mesh_terms: D051398:Aquaporin 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology*; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000473:pathology; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D013584:Sarcoma, Synovial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C400134:BAP1 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D051398:Aquaporin 1; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase
keywords: 3-D Reconstruction; Acid Phosphatone; Adenovirus