Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine最新文献

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming pathology by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and workflow standardization. Despite its growing presence, AI adoption remains limited, particularly in resource-constrained settings like India. This study assessed the knowledge, awareness, and perceptions of AI among pathologists in Northern India.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 138 practicing pathologists in Northern India between April and June 2024. A structured online questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, AI awareness, self-reported knowledge, sources of AI education, technological proficiency, and interest in AI-related training programs. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, with p < .05 considered statistically significant.

Results: AI awareness was high (88.4%), with significant sex differences (93.5% in females vs. 78.3% in males, p = .008). However, formal AI training was limited (6.5%), and only 16.7% had used AI as a diagnostic tool. Academic pathologists were more likely to engage with AI literature than their non-academic counterparts (p = .003). Interest in AI workshops was strong (92.8%). Access to whole slide imaging (WSI) correlated with higher AI knowledge (p = .008), as did self-reported technological proficiency (p = .001).

Conclusions: Despite high AI awareness among pathologists, significant gaps remain in training, infrastructure, and practical application. Expanding access to digital pathology tools like WSI and improving digital literacy could facilitate AI adoption. Structured educational programs and greater investment in digital infrastructure are crucial for integrating AI into pathology practice.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) independent cervical malignancies (HPV-IDCMs) have recently been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) 5th edition. These malignancies have historically received limited attention due to their rarity and the potential for evasion of HPV-based screening.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 5,854 biopsy-confirmed cervical malignancies from 22 institutions over 3 years (July 2020-June 2023). Histologic classification followed the WHO guidelines. HPV independence was confirmed by dual negativity for p16 and HPV; discordant cases (p16-positive/HPV-negative) underwent additional HPV testing using paraffin-embedded tissue. Cytological results were matched sequentially to histological confirmation.

Results: The prevalence of HPV-IDCM was 4.4% (257/5,854) overall and was 3.6% (208/5,805 cases) among primary cervical malignancy. Patient age of HPV-IDCM was 29 to 89 years (median, 57.79). Its histologic subtypes included primary adenocarcinoma (n = 116), endometrial adenocarcinoma (n = 35), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 72), metastatic carcinoma (n = 14), carcinoma, not otherwise specified (n = 10), neuroendocrine carcinoma (n = 3), and others (n = 7). Among 155 cytology-histological matched cases, the overall and primary Pap test detection rates were 85.2% (132/155) and 83.2% (104/125), respectively. The interval between cytology and histologic confirmation extended up to 38 months.

Conclusions: HPV-IDCMs comprised 3.6% of primary cervical malignancies with a high detection rate via cytology (83.2%). These findings affirm the value of cytological screening, particularly in patients with limited screening history or at risk for HPV-independent lesions, and may guide future screening protocols.

Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a rare type of cancer that arises within the thyroid gland, representing about 2%-8% of all thyroid malignancies. Fine-needle aspiration cytology is commonly used as the first-line diagnostic approach for thyroid nodules and can assist in identifying PTL when suggestive features are present. Herein, we report the case of a 59-year-old female patient who presented with a rapidly enlarging anterior neck mass over 20 days. Clinically, the case was challenging to distinguish from anaplastic thyroid carcinoma because of the sudden enlargement of the neck mass. However, pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of primary thyroid diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Fine-needle aspiration cytology proved valuable in avoiding unnecessary surgical resection and guiding appropriate treatment. Additionally, we provide a brief review of the clinical and cytopathological features of primary thyroid lymphomas.

Angioleiomyomas are benign soft tissue tumors originating from the vascular wall. Although angioleiomyomas mainly occur in extremities, followed by head, neck, and trunk, they can also be found throughout the digestive system and especially in the oral cavity. Herein, the fourth case of a rectal angioleiomyoma in the English literature is reported and the clinicopathological features of digestive system angioleiomyomas were investigated. In contrast to their soft tissue counterparts, digestive system angioleiomyomas mainly affect males at a slightly younger age. Angioleiomyomas are mainly asymptomatic and only rarely elicit pain. Clinicians consider angioleiomyomas infrequently and instead include more common soft tissue or epithelial tumors in their differential diagnosis. To prevent angiomyolipoma misdiagnosis, pathologists should exercise caution when examining an angioleiomyoma composed of adipose tissue, smooth muscle, and blood vessels. Pathologists, radiologists, and surgeons should be aware that angioleiomyomas can occur in the digestive system.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is a clinically indolent lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by accumulation of mature B-cell lymphocytes. Given the common CD5 co-expression, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is one of the most important entities in the differential diagnosis. MCL and CLL/SLL might exhibit overlapping morphologic and immunohistochemical features, making diagnosis particularly difficult in cases of composite lymphomas. Here, we present a unique case of composite lymphoma in an 86-year-old male, along with a literature review on the immunophenotypic variability of both MCL and CLL, which should always be confirmed with additional ancillary cytogenetic and molecular studies.

Central nervous system tumors with BCL6 corepressor (BCOR) internal tandem duplications (ITDs) constitute a rare, recently characterized pediatric neoplasm with distinct molecular and histopathological features. To date, 69 cases have been documented in the literature, including our institutional case. These neoplasms predominantly occur in young children, with the cerebellum representing the most frequent anatomical location. Radiologically, these tumors present as large, well-circumscribed masses frequently demonstrating necrosis, hemorrhage, and heterogeneous enhancement. Histologically, they are characterized by a monomorphic cellular population featuring ependymoma-like perivascular pseudorosettes, myxoid stroma, and elevated mitotic activity. Immunohistochemically, these tumors exhibit sparse glial fibrillary acidic protein expression while consistently demonstrating positive staining for vimentin and CD56. The defining molecular hallmark is a heterozygous ITD within exon 15 of the BCOR gene, with insertions ranging from 9 to 42 amino acids in length. BCOR immunohistochemistry reveals nuclear positivity in 97.9% of examined cases, although this finding is not pathognomonic for BCOR ITDs. This comprehensive review synthesizes data from all published cases of this novel tumor entity, providing a detailed analysis of clinical presentation, neuroimaging findings, histopathological features with differential diagnostic considerations, therapeutic approaches, and prognostic outcomes.

Background: Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in males worldwide. Serum prostate-specific antigen is a frequently employed biomarker in the diagnosis and risk stratification of prostate cancer; however, it is known for its low predictive accuracy for disease progression. New prognostic biomarkers are needed to distinguish aggressive prostate cancer from low-risk disease. This study aimed to identify and validate potential prognostic biomarkers of prostate cancer.

Methods: Two prostate cancer datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes between benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatic carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the JUNB proto-oncogene, a subunit of the AP-1 transcription factor (JUNB), in 70 prostate cancer patients and 10 BPH samples.

Results: Our findings showed that JUNB was significantly enriched in prostate cancer-related pathways and biological processes. JUNB expression was considerably higher in prostatic adenocarcinoma patients than in BPH patients. Regarding JUNB expression in prostate cancer cases, lower levels of JUNB expression were associated with higher grades of prostatic adenocarcinoma. Lower JUNB expression was associated with a higher risk of prostatic adenocarcinoma progression and shorter overall survival.

Conclusions: These results suggest that JUNB is a promising prognostic biomarker and a potential tumor suppressor in prostate cancer.

Background: C-C motif chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3) is a crucial chemokine that plays a fundamental role in the immune microenvironment and is closely linked to the development of various cancers. Despite its importance, there is limited research regarding the expression and function of CCL3 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Therefore, this study seeks to examine the expression of CCL3 and assess its clinical significance in NPC using bioinformatics analysis and experiments.

Methods: The bioinformatics approach was employed to assess the expression and function of CCL3 in NPC. Subsequently, protein expression of CCL3 was detected in an NPC cohort using immunohistochemistry based on a tissue microarray. The relationship between CCL3 expression and clinical features was then investigated.

Results: A total of 20 CCL3-related genes and 14 possible target genes were identified through bioinformatics analysis, many of which play crucial roles in pathways such as chemokine signaling pathway and transcriptional misregulation in cancer signaling pathways. CCL3 was found to be associated with drug resistance and various immune cell infiltrations. In NPC, CCL3 expression was significantly higher than normal controls, and high expression of CCL3 correlated with cervical lymph node metastasis, tumor recurrence, advanced clinical stage, and poor prognosis.

Conclusions: CCL3 may be a key gene in the initiation and progression of NPC. It has the potential to serve as both a diagnostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for NPC.

Müllerian adenosarcoma of the uterus is a rare morphological variant of uterine sarcoma. Müllerian adenosarcoma has been described histologically, though it is rare in the cytological literature. This report describes the cytological findings of a case of adenosarcoma arising from the endometrium. The patient was a Japanese woman in her 40s. Endometrial cytological and histological findings were observed for 5 years, from the appearance of a polypoid lesion until adenosarcoma was suspected, and then hysterectomy was performed. Based on these longitudinal cytological and histological observations, it was possible to identify the cytological characteristics of adenosarcoma: decrease in the glandular-to-stromal ratio; increase in stromal cell density; and progression of stromal cell atypia. This case stresses the importance and usefulness of endometrial cytology in the identification of the sarcomatous component in adenosarcoma.

Background: To date, epidemiological studies on the entire spectrum of kidney disease based on pathology have been rarely reported.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on patients diagnosed with kidney disease at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital between 1991 and 2023.

Results: Among 7,803 patients with native kidney disease, glomerular disease (70.3%) was the most common, followed by tubulointerstitial (15.1%) and vascular disease (8.8%). In kidney biopsy, glomerular disease (77.8%) showed the highest frequency, particularly in those under 20s (95.6%) (p = .013). Primary glomerulonephritis (GN) (72.8%) was the predominant glomerular disease, with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) (47.3%) being the most common one. Tubulointerstitial and vascular diseases increased with age, showing the highest prevalence in those over 60 years (p = .008 and p = .032, respectively). Glomerular disease was diagnosed at a younger age (39.7 ± 16.7 years) than tubulointerstitial (49.1 ± 16.2) and vascular (48.1 ± 15.3) diseases (p < .001). When glomerular diseases were classified morphologically, proliferative GN (57.9%) was the most common, followed by non-proliferative (39.6%) and sclerosing (1.6%). When classified by etiology, primary GN accounted for the most (72.8%), followed by secondary (19.3%) and hereditary GN (5.7%). In nephrectomy, tubulointerstitial disease (64.6%) was the most common. Those with a tubulointerstitial disease had a higher mean age than those with a glomerular disease (p < .001). In cases where nephrectomy was performed for glomerular diseases, IgAN (34.1%) was the most common diagnosis.

Conclusions: Kidney disease has been increasing in South Korea for 33 years. Glomerular disease was the most common across all age groups, tubulointerstitial and vascular diseases increased over 60 years.