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Related Experiment Videos

Giant desmosomes in tumors

F N Ghadially1, P U Rippstein, S Cavell

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ottawa Civic Hospital, Ontario, Canada.

Ultrastructural Pathology
|November 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Giant desmosomes, large cell junctions, were observed in mesothelioma and other tumors, but not adenocarcinomas. Their presence may rarely aid in distinguishing mesothelioma from adenocarcinoma.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Oncology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Desmosomes are intercellular junctions crucial for tissue integrity.
  • Alterations in desmosome structure can occur in various pathological conditions, including tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and characteristics of giant desmosomes in different tumor types.
  • To assess the potential diagnostic utility of giant desmosomes in differentiating mesothelioma from adenocarcinoma.

Main Methods:

  • Microscopic examination of tumor tissue sections.
  • Measurement of desmosomal profile lengths.
  • Comparative analysis across mesothelioma, adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, thymoma, and meningioma.

Main Results:

  • Giant desmosomes (≥1 micron) were identified in mesothelioma, squamous cell carcinoma, thymoma, and meningioma, but absent in adenocarcinomas.
  • The largest desmosomal profiles measured approximately 2 microns in mesothelioma and 0.8 microns in adenocarcinoma.
  • Giant desmosomes were found in only 20% of the mesothelioma cases studied.

Conclusions:

  • Giant desmosomes can form through the growth and fusion of adjacent desmosomes.
  • While giant desmosomes are absent in adenocarcinomas, their presence in mesothelioma is infrequent, limiting their diagnostic value.
  • Further research may elucidate the precise role and formation mechanisms of giant desmosomes in tumorigenesis.

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