One interesting study is called, “Hyperplastic mesothelial cells in lymph nodes: Report of six cases of a benign process that can simulate metastatic involvement by mesothelioma or carcinoma” by Pedram Argani, MD, Juan Rosai, - Volume 29, Issue 4, Pages 339-346 (April 1998). Here is an excerpt: “Abstract - We report six cases of hyperplastic mesothelial cells located in the sinuses of lymph nodes.
All patients but one had a concurrent serosal fluid collection (two pericardial, two pleural, one abdominal) at the time of the lymph node biopsy. All effusions cleared with treatment of the underlying disorder, which included lymphoproliferative processes, congestive heart failure, and inflammatory diseases (Dressler syndrome, vasculitis, and glomerulonephritis).
Four cases were associated with vascular prominence of the involved nodal sinuses, a feature that may reflect the cause of the underlying effusion or support the transient persistence of benign mesothelial cells in lymph nodes. Two cases were characterized by distention of the nodal sinuses by sheets of mitotically active mesothelial cells. The differential diagnosis includes metastatic carcinoma, keratin-positive dendritic cells native to lymph nodes, and metastatic malignant mesothelioma.
Because the latter shares both clinical and morphological features with cases of benign mesothelial cells in lymph nodes, we believe that this distinction may not always be possible in a given biopsy specimen and therefore that careful clinical follow-up is required in such cases.”
Design.-Sixteen cases of malignant mesothelioma, including epithelial, sarcomatous, and biphasic types, were collected. DNA analysis using flow cytometry and/or image analysis was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue from 15 of the mesothelioma cases, as well as on cytospin cell preparations from samples of pleural and peritoneal fluids from cases with either cytologically proven adenocarcinoma (seven cases) or benign reactive mesothelial cells (seven cases). Immunohistochemical studies were done in 15 mesotheliomas, 5 adenocarcinomas, and 4 benign reactive mesothelial cell effusions.
Results.-All malignant mesotheliomas tested (100%) stained positively for prekeratin, whereas stains for carcinoembryonic antigen, B72.3, Leu-M1, and Ber-EP4 were negative. Stains vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen, and CA125 were positive in 75%, 75%, and 25% of cases tested, respectively. Benign reactive mesothelial cell cases stained similarly.
Adenocarcinomas were more likely to react positively with B72.3, Ber-EP4, and carcinoembryonic antigen, and negatively with vimentin. DNA analysis showed that all benign cases were diploid, while all adenocarcinomas were nondiploid. Fifty-three percent of the malignant mesotheliomas were nondiploid. Sensitivity for detection of nondiploidy was greater for image analysis than for flow cytometry (100% vs 75%). Conclusions.-B72.3, Ber-EP4, carcinoembryonic antigen, and vimentin are useful immunohistochemical markers in differentiating malignant mesotheliomas from adenocarcinomas, whereas immunohistochemistry does not reliably distinguish malignant from benign hyperplastic mesothelial cells. The addition of DNA ploidy studies is useful for differentiating the latter two groups.”
Another study is called, “Prognostic value of the serum tumour markers Cyfra 21-1 and tissue polypeptide antigen in malignant Mesothelioma” - Volume 25, Issue 1, Pages 25-32 (July 1999) - International Journal for Lung Cancer. Here is an excerpt: “Abstract - In malignant mesothelioma, survival is claimed to be related to age, duration of symptoms, performance status, histological subtype, stage and platelet count.
However the exact prognostic value of these factors is still a matter of debate. We studied the two cytokeratin markers, Cyfra 21-1 and Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) for their significance in predicting survival retrospectively in 52 patients. Cyfra 21-1 and TPA were elevated in 26 (50%) and 30 (58%) patients, respectively, and were highly correlated (r=0.98). Univariate analysis of data from 51 patients, showed a relation with survival for performance status (P=0.010), thoracic pain (P=0.014), platelet count (P=0.027), Cyfra 21-1 (P=0.002) and TPA (P=0.003). Multivariate analysis identified independent prognostic significance for performance status, platelet count and Cyfra 21-1.
In addition to performance status (80) the cytokeratin markers identified patients with good prognosis in a log rank test. Values of Cyfra 21-1 and TPA are significantly correlated.
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