- Email: [email protected]
Mast cell density, neoplastic angiogenesis and their prognostic importance
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Correspondence / Digestive and Liver Disease 38 (2006) 355–359
Reply Sir, We read with great interest the letter by Dr Saps on ‘Is there a seasonal variation in Crohn’s disease?’ and we appreciate his interest in our study. In his letter, Dr Saps reported personal unpublished data in outpatient children with Crohn’s disease (CD) showing no seasonality in the number of consultations for CD. In addition, he quoted the study by Auslander, who did not find seasonality in the endoscopic diagnosis of CD [1]. These data seem in contrast with the results of our study showing a seasonal variation in the onset of symptoms in adults with CD. However, considering the different aims, methods, populations and geographic areas, our results are not comparable with those of Saps and Auslander. In fact, the number of consultations and the endoscopic diagnosis not necessarily correspond to the time of onset of symptoms. We agree with Dr Saps that a definite answer to seasonality in CD could only come from large prospective welldesigned multicentre epidemiological studies. Conflict of interest statement None declared. Reference [1] Auslander JN, Lieberman DA, Sonnember A. Lack of seasonal variation in the endoscopic diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Am J Gastroenterol 2005;100:2233–8.
A. Aratari ∗ R. Caprilli Department of Clinical Science, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 06 446000; fax: +39 06 446373. E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Aratari)
doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2006.02.008
indicating their anti-tumour effect [2,3]. I also want to comment about MC-induced tumour angiogenesis. This study suggested that increased MC density (MCD) predicts for worse survival [1]. However, it was also associated with a better prognosis [4]. These conflicting results may depend on wide variations in timing, tumour types/stages and methodologies such as using Giemsa instead of Toluidine Blue and/or immunohistochemical staining in this study [1]. This study also showed that MCD with high microvessel density (MVD) could be poor prognostic marker [1]. Using nonspecific, as they said, neovascularisation marker ‘CD34’ and ≥28 micro vessels as a cut-off value for increased MVD, authors contradicted with themselves and the literature [1,5]. Yet with ≥115 micro vessels, no correlation between MVD and survival was demonstrated. ≥42 micro vessels were also found in the normal colorectal tissue [5]. Although this study showed significant association between MCD, angiogenesis and poor prognosis [1], some demonstrated otherwise and blamed other cells/mediators [6]. Thus, only observing increased MCD in/around a tumour with bad/good prognosis on specimens seems far behind to explain their real role.
Reference [1] Acikalin MF, Oner U, Topcu I, Yasar B, Kiper H, Colak E. Tumour angiogenesis and mast cell density in the prognostic assessment of colorectal carcinomas. Dig Liver Dis 2005;37:162–9. ¨ ¨ Ravindranath Y, Savasan S. Short term mast cell [2] Ozdemir O, natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2004;94:186–7 [abstract]. [3] Ghiara P, Boraschi D, Villa L, Scapigliati G, Taddei C, Tagliabue A. In vitro generated mast cells express natural cytotoxicity against tumour cells. Immunology 1985;55:317–24. [4] Tan SY, Fan Y, Luo HS, Shen ZX, Guo Y, Zhao LJ. Prognostic significance of cell infiltrations of immunosurveillance in colorectal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2005;11:1210–4. [5] Bossi P, Viale G, Lee AK, Alfano R, Coggi G, Bosari S. Angiogenesis in colorectal tumors: microvessel quantitation in adenomas and carcinomas with clinicopathological correlations. Cancer Res 1995;55:5049–53. [6] Koga K, Todaka T, Morioka M, Hamada J, Kai Y, Yano S, et al. Expression of angiopoietin-2 in human glioma cells and its role for angiogenesis. Cancer Res 2001;61:6248–54.
∗ ¨ Ozdemir ¨ O. 1542 Tulane Avenue, T8-1, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
Mast cell density, neoplastic angiogenesis and their prognostic importance Sir, I read the article by Acikalin with great interest [1]. Contrary to their conclusion, we recently demonstrated in vitro human mast cell (MC) cytotoxicity against sensitive/resistant human leukaemia/lymphoma cells besides data
∗ Tel.: +1 504 568 2578; fax: +1 504 568 7598. E-mail address: ozdemir [email protected]
doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2005.11.010
Correspondence / Digestive and Liver Disease 38 (2006) 355–359
Reply Sir, We read with great interest the letter by Dr Saps on ‘Is there a seasonal variation in Crohn’s disease?’ and we appreciate his interest in our study. In his letter, Dr Saps reported personal unpublished data in outpatient children with Crohn’s disease (CD) showing no seasonality in the number of consultations for CD. In addition, he quoted the study by Auslander, who did not find seasonality in the endoscopic diagnosis of CD [1]. These data seem in contrast with the results of our study showing a seasonal variation in the onset of symptoms in adults with CD. However, considering the different aims, methods, populations and geographic areas, our results are not comparable with those of Saps and Auslander. In fact, the number of consultations and the endoscopic diagnosis not necessarily correspond to the time of onset of symptoms. We agree with Dr Saps that a definite answer to seasonality in CD could only come from large prospective welldesigned multicentre epidemiological studies. Conflict of interest statement None declared. Reference [1] Auslander JN, Lieberman DA, Sonnember A. Lack of seasonal variation in the endoscopic diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Am J Gastroenterol 2005;100:2233–8.
A. Aratari ∗ R. Caprilli Department of Clinical Science, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 06 446000; fax: +39 06 446373. E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Aratari)
doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2006.02.008
indicating their anti-tumour effect [2,3]. I also want to comment about MC-induced tumour angiogenesis. This study suggested that increased MC density (MCD) predicts for worse survival [1]. However, it was also associated with a better prognosis [4]. These conflicting results may depend on wide variations in timing, tumour types/stages and methodologies such as using Giemsa instead of Toluidine Blue and/or immunohistochemical staining in this study [1]. This study also showed that MCD with high microvessel density (MVD) could be poor prognostic marker [1]. Using nonspecific, as they said, neovascularisation marker ‘CD34’ and ≥28 micro vessels as a cut-off value for increased MVD, authors contradicted with themselves and the literature [1,5]. Yet with ≥115 micro vessels, no correlation between MVD and survival was demonstrated. ≥42 micro vessels were also found in the normal colorectal tissue [5]. Although this study showed significant association between MCD, angiogenesis and poor prognosis [1], some demonstrated otherwise and blamed other cells/mediators [6]. Thus, only observing increased MCD in/around a tumour with bad/good prognosis on specimens seems far behind to explain their real role.
Reference [1] Acikalin MF, Oner U, Topcu I, Yasar B, Kiper H, Colak E. Tumour angiogenesis and mast cell density in the prognostic assessment of colorectal carcinomas. Dig Liver Dis 2005;37:162–9. ¨ ¨ Ravindranath Y, Savasan S. Short term mast cell [2] Ozdemir O, natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2004;94:186–7 [abstract]. [3] Ghiara P, Boraschi D, Villa L, Scapigliati G, Taddei C, Tagliabue A. In vitro generated mast cells express natural cytotoxicity against tumour cells. Immunology 1985;55:317–24. [4] Tan SY, Fan Y, Luo HS, Shen ZX, Guo Y, Zhao LJ. Prognostic significance of cell infiltrations of immunosurveillance in colorectal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2005;11:1210–4. [5] Bossi P, Viale G, Lee AK, Alfano R, Coggi G, Bosari S. Angiogenesis in colorectal tumors: microvessel quantitation in adenomas and carcinomas with clinicopathological correlations. Cancer Res 1995;55:5049–53. [6] Koga K, Todaka T, Morioka M, Hamada J, Kai Y, Yano S, et al. Expression of angiopoietin-2 in human glioma cells and its role for angiogenesis. Cancer Res 2001;61:6248–54.
∗ ¨ Ozdemir ¨ O. 1542 Tulane Avenue, T8-1, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
Mast cell density, neoplastic angiogenesis and their prognostic importance Sir, I read the article by Acikalin with great interest [1]. Contrary to their conclusion, we recently demonstrated in vitro human mast cell (MC) cytotoxicity against sensitive/resistant human leukaemia/lymphoma cells besides data
∗ Tel.: +1 504 568 2578; fax: +1 504 568 7598. E-mail address: ozdemir [email protected]
doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2005.11.010