Our primary endpoint was to use nasal cytology to compare woodworkers with unexposed subjects to ... more Our primary endpoint was to use nasal cytology to compare woodworkers with unexposed subjects to see if wood dust exposure correlates with specific patterns of inflammatory or infectious rhinitis. A secondary endpoint was to identify any differences in the exposed group's nasal symptoms or nasal cytology by years of exposure or personal exposure levels. Ninety-two woodworkers and 90 controls were assessed using a questionnaire and nasal cytology (on nasal mucosa obtained by scraping). Wood dust exposure was investigated using personal sampling methods. Woodworkers reported significantly more nasal symptoms than controls (p < 0.00001). The woodworkers' nasal smears revealed more neutrophils (p = 0.001) and significantly higher mean neutrophil scores (p = 0.001) than control smears. Lymphocytes were also found more often in the woodworkers' rhinocytograms (statistical trend, p = 0.06). Neutrophilic rhinitis was diagnosed more frequently in the exposed workers than in controls (chi-square = 5.97, p < 0.05). Woodworkers with lymphocytes in their nasal smears had been exposed to wood dust for longer periods of time (statistical trend; p = 0.06). No differences in nasal symptoms or cell counts emerged when woodworkers were stratified by levels of personal exposure. Nasal cytology should be further investigated in woodworkers before considering it a screening method for identifying woodworkers with chronic inflammatory rhinitis.
Interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (IDCS) is an exceedingly rare neoplasm originating from pr... more Interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (IDCS) is an exceedingly rare neoplasm originating from professional antigen presenting cells normally located in the T zone of the lymph node. The purpose of this report was to describe the first case of the IDCS of the submandibular gland and perform a review of the literature of head and neck IDCS. We present a case of an 81-year-old man with a 5 months history of slowly enlarging painless mass in right submandibular region. Fine needle aspiration cytology was suggestive of squamous cell carcinoma. The patient underwent surgical resection of the right submandibular gland and neck dissection. A malignant spindle cell proliferation involving the submandibular gland and colonizing one laterocervical lymph node was found. Morphology and immunophenotype prompted a differential diagnosis of a metastatic spindle cell melanoma versus an IDCS. Transmission electron microscopy was performed and supported a diagnosis of IDCS. The diagnosis of IDCS is a...
Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumour in children and young adults, wi... more Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumour in children and young adults, with poor survival in 40% of patients. To identify the signalling pathways involved in tumourigenesis, we compared gene expression in osteosarcoma with that in its presumed normal counterparts. Genome-wide expression profiles were generated from 25 high-grade central osteosarcoma prechemotherapy biopsies, 5 osteoblastomas, 5 mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) populations and these same MSCs differentiated into osteoblasts. Genes that were differentially expressed were analysed in the context of the pathways in which they function using the GenMAPP programme. MSCs, osteoblasts, osteoblastomas and osteosarcomas clustered separately and thousands of differentially expressed genes were identified. The most significantly altered pathways are involved in cell cycle regulation and DNA replication. Several upstream components of the Wnt signalling pathway are downregulated in osteosarcoma. Two genes invo...
Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is a rare benign cartilaginous bone tumour with a lobular architectur... more Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is a rare benign cartilaginous bone tumour with a lobular architecture containing stellate and myofibroblast-like spindle cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence, spatial distribution, and extent of myoid differentiation in CMF and to evaluate a possible causative role for TGF-beta1 signalling, which is known to promote smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression. Twenty cases were studied for immunoreactivity for muscle-specific actin (MSA), SMA, desmin, h-caldesmon, calponin, TGF-beta1, and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1). The extent of myofibroblastic differentiation was further investigated ultrastructurally, including immuno-electron microscopy using antibodies against MSA and SMA, focusing upon the different cell types in CMF. The expression of potential genes driving this process was quantified by Q-RT-PCR (TGF-beta1, fibronectin, its EDA splice variant, and PAI-1). Tumour cells, especially those with a spindled morphol...
Our primary endpoint was to use nasal cytology to compare woodworkers with unexposed subjects to ... more Our primary endpoint was to use nasal cytology to compare woodworkers with unexposed subjects to see if wood dust exposure correlates with specific patterns of inflammatory or infectious rhinitis. A secondary endpoint was to identify any differences in the exposed group's nasal symptoms or nasal cytology by years of exposure or personal exposure levels. Ninety-two woodworkers and 90 controls were assessed using a questionnaire and nasal cytology (on nasal mucosa obtained by scraping). Wood dust exposure was investigated using personal sampling methods. Woodworkers reported significantly more nasal symptoms than controls (p < 0.00001). The woodworkers' nasal smears revealed more neutrophils (p = 0.001) and significantly higher mean neutrophil scores (p = 0.001) than control smears. Lymphocytes were also found more often in the woodworkers' rhinocytograms (statistical trend, p = 0.06). Neutrophilic rhinitis was diagnosed more frequently in the exposed workers than in controls (chi-square = 5.97, p < 0.05). Woodworkers with lymphocytes in their nasal smears had been exposed to wood dust for longer periods of time (statistical trend; p = 0.06). No differences in nasal symptoms or cell counts emerged when woodworkers were stratified by levels of personal exposure. Nasal cytology should be further investigated in woodworkers before considering it a screening method for identifying woodworkers with chronic inflammatory rhinitis.
Interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (IDCS) is an exceedingly rare neoplasm originating from pr... more Interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (IDCS) is an exceedingly rare neoplasm originating from professional antigen presenting cells normally located in the T zone of the lymph node. The purpose of this report was to describe the first case of the IDCS of the submandibular gland and perform a review of the literature of head and neck IDCS. We present a case of an 81-year-old man with a 5 months history of slowly enlarging painless mass in right submandibular region. Fine needle aspiration cytology was suggestive of squamous cell carcinoma. The patient underwent surgical resection of the right submandibular gland and neck dissection. A malignant spindle cell proliferation involving the submandibular gland and colonizing one laterocervical lymph node was found. Morphology and immunophenotype prompted a differential diagnosis of a metastatic spindle cell melanoma versus an IDCS. Transmission electron microscopy was performed and supported a diagnosis of IDCS. The diagnosis of IDCS is a...
Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumour in children and young adults, wi... more Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumour in children and young adults, with poor survival in 40% of patients. To identify the signalling pathways involved in tumourigenesis, we compared gene expression in osteosarcoma with that in its presumed normal counterparts. Genome-wide expression profiles were generated from 25 high-grade central osteosarcoma prechemotherapy biopsies, 5 osteoblastomas, 5 mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) populations and these same MSCs differentiated into osteoblasts. Genes that were differentially expressed were analysed in the context of the pathways in which they function using the GenMAPP programme. MSCs, osteoblasts, osteoblastomas and osteosarcomas clustered separately and thousands of differentially expressed genes were identified. The most significantly altered pathways are involved in cell cycle regulation and DNA replication. Several upstream components of the Wnt signalling pathway are downregulated in osteosarcoma. Two genes invo...
Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is a rare benign cartilaginous bone tumour with a lobular architectur... more Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is a rare benign cartilaginous bone tumour with a lobular architecture containing stellate and myofibroblast-like spindle cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence, spatial distribution, and extent of myoid differentiation in CMF and to evaluate a possible causative role for TGF-beta1 signalling, which is known to promote smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression. Twenty cases were studied for immunoreactivity for muscle-specific actin (MSA), SMA, desmin, h-caldesmon, calponin, TGF-beta1, and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1). The extent of myofibroblastic differentiation was further investigated ultrastructurally, including immuno-electron microscopy using antibodies against MSA and SMA, focusing upon the different cell types in CMF. The expression of potential genes driving this process was quantified by Q-RT-PCR (TGF-beta1, fibronectin, its EDA splice variant, and PAI-1). Tumour cells, especially those with a spindled morphol...
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Papers by Salvatore Romeo