Biomaterial Database

Giant desmosomes in tumors. 1995

F N Ghadially, and P U Rippstein, and S Cavell, and S L Venance

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

The lengths of desmosomal profiles were measured in sections of tumor tissue from cases of mesothelioma, adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, thymoma, and meningioma. Giant desmosomes (length of profile 1 micron or greater than 1 micron) were found in all the above-mentioned tumors except adenocarcinomas. The largest desmosomal profile in adenocarcinoma was approximately 0.8 micron long; the largest in mesothelioma was approximately 2 microns long. Our observations suggest that one of the ways in which giant desmosomes arise is by growth and fusion of adjacent desmosomes. Giant desmosomes may at times help in distinguishing mesothelioma from adenocarcinoma, but this is a rather rare phenomenon. In this study giant desmosomes were found in only 2 out of 10 cases of mesothelioma.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008579	Meningioma	A relatively common neoplasm of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that arises from arachnoidal cells. The majority are well differentiated vascular tumors which grow slowly and have a low potential to be invasive, although malignant subtypes occur. Meningiomas have a predilection to arise from the parasagittal region, cerebral convexity, sphenoidal ridge, olfactory groove, and SPINAL CANAL. (From DeVita et al., Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology, 5th ed, pp2056-7)	Benign Meningioma,Malignant Meningioma,Meningiomas, Multiple,Meningiomatosis,Angioblastic Meningioma,Angiomatous Meningioma,Cerebral Convexity Meningioma,Clear Cell Meningioma,Fibrous Meningioma,Hemangioblastic Meningioma,Hemangiopericytic Meningioma,Intracranial Meningioma,Intraorbital Meningioma,Intraventricular Meningioma,Meningotheliomatous Meningioma,Microcystic Meningioma,Olfactory Groove Meningioma,Papillary Meningioma,Parasagittal Meningioma,Posterior Fossa Meningioma,Psammomatous Meningioma,Secretory Meningioma,Sphenoid Wing Meningioma,Spinal Meningioma,Transitional Meningioma,Xanthomatous Meningioma,Angioblastic Meningiomas,Angiomatous Meningiomas,Benign Meningiomas,Cerebral Convexity Meningiomas,Clear Cell Meningiomas,Convexity Meningioma, Cerebral,Convexity Meningiomas, Cerebral,Fibrous Meningiomas,Groove Meningiomas, Olfactory,Hemangioblastic Meningiomas,Hemangiopericytic Meningiomas,Intracranial Meningiomas,Intraorbital Meningiomas,Intraventricular Meningiomas,Malignant Meningiomas,Meningioma, Angioblastic,Meningioma, Angiomatous,Meningioma, Benign,Meningioma, Cerebral Convexity,Meningioma, Clear Cell,Meningioma, Fibrous,Meningioma, Hemangioblastic,Meningioma, Hemangiopericytic,Meningioma, Intracranial,Meningioma, Intraorbital,Meningioma, Intraventricular,Meningioma, Malignant,Meningioma, Meningotheliomatous,Meningioma, Microcystic,Meningioma, Multiple,Meningioma, Olfactory Groove,Meningioma, Papillary,Meningioma, Parasagittal,Meningioma, Posterior Fossa,Meningioma, Psammomatous,Meningioma, Secretory,Meningioma, Sphenoid Wing,Meningioma, Spinal,Meningioma, Transitional,Meningioma, Xanthomatous,Meningiomas,Meningiomas, Angioblastic,Meningiomas, Angiomatous,Meningiomas, Benign,Meningiomas, Cerebral Convexity,Meningiomas, Clear Cell,Meningiomas, Fibrous,Meningiomas, Hemangioblastic,Meningiomas, Hemangiopericytic,Meningiomas, Intracranial,Meningiomas, Intraorbital,Meningiomas, Intraventricular,Meningiomas, Malignant,Meningiomas, Meningotheliomatous,Meningiomas, Microcystic,Meningiomas, Olfactory Groove,Meningiomas, Papillary,Meningiomas, Parasagittal,Meningiomas, Posterior Fossa,Meningiomas, Psammomatous,Meningiomas, Secretory,Meningiomas, Sphenoid Wing,Meningiomas, Spinal,Meningiomas, Transitional,Meningiomas, Xanthomatous,Meningiomatoses,Meningotheliomatous Meningiomas,Microcystic Meningiomas,Multiple Meningioma,Multiple Meningiomas,Olfactory Groove Meningiomas,Papillary Meningiomas,Parasagittal Meningiomas,Posterior Fossa Meningiomas,Psammomatous Meningiomas,Secretory Meningiomas,Sphenoid Wing Meningiomas,Spinal Meningiomas,Transitional Meningiomas,Wing Meningioma, Sphenoid,Wing Meningiomas, Sphenoid,Xanthomatous Meningiomas
D008654	Mesothelioma	A tumor derived from mesothelial tissue (peritoneum, pleura, pericardium). It appears as broad sheets of cells, with some regions containing spindle-shaped, sarcoma-like cells and other regions showing adenomatous patterns. Pleural mesotheliomas have been linked to exposure to asbestos. (Dorland, 27th ed)	Mesotheliomas
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D009369	Neoplasms	New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms.	Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D002294	Carcinoma, Squamous Cell	A carcinoma derived from stratified SQUAMOUS EPITHELIAL CELLS. It may also occur in sites where glandular or columnar epithelium is normally present. (From Stedman, 25th ed)	Carcinoma, Epidermoid,Carcinoma, Planocellular,Carcinoma, Squamous,Squamous Cell Carcinoma,Carcinomas, Epidermoid,Carcinomas, Planocellular,Carcinomas, Squamous,Carcinomas, Squamous Cell,Epidermoid Carcinoma,Epidermoid Carcinomas,Planocellular Carcinoma,Planocellular Carcinomas,Squamous Carcinoma,Squamous Carcinomas,Squamous Cell Carcinomas
D003896	Desmosomes	A type of junction that attaches one cell to its neighbor. One of a number of differentiated regions which occur, for example, where the cytoplasmic membranes of adjacent epithelial cells are closely apposed. It consists of a circular region of each membrane together with associated intracellular microfilaments and an intercellular material which may include, for example, mucopolysaccharides. (From Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990; Singleton & Sainsbury, Dictionary of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, 2d ed)	Desmosome
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000230	Adenocarcinoma	A malignant epithelial tumor with a glandular organization.	Adenocarcinoma, Basal Cell,Adenocarcinoma, Granular Cell,Adenocarcinoma, Oxyphilic,Adenocarcinoma, Tubular,Adenoma, Malignant,Carcinoma, Cribriform,Carcinoma, Granular Cell,Carcinoma, Tubular,Adenocarcinomas,Adenocarcinomas, Basal Cell,Adenocarcinomas, Granular Cell,Adenocarcinomas, Oxyphilic,Adenocarcinomas, Tubular,Adenomas, Malignant,Basal Cell Adenocarcinoma,Basal Cell Adenocarcinomas,Carcinomas, Cribriform,Carcinomas, Granular Cell,Carcinomas, Tubular,Cribriform Carcinoma,Cribriform Carcinomas,Granular Cell Adenocarcinoma,Granular Cell Adenocarcinomas,Granular Cell Carcinoma,Granular Cell Carcinomas,Malignant Adenoma,Malignant Adenomas,Oxyphilic Adenocarcinoma,Oxyphilic Adenocarcinomas,Tubular Adenocarcinoma,Tubular Adenocarcinomas,Tubular Carcinoma,Tubular Carcinomas
D013945	Thymoma	A neoplasm originating from thymic tissue, usually benign, and frequently encapsulated. Although it is occasionally invasive, metastases are extremely rare. It consists of any type of thymic epithelial cell as well as lymphocytes that are usually abundant. Malignant lymphomas that involve the thymus, e.g., lymphosarcoma, Hodgkin's disease (previously termed granulomatous thymoma), should not be regarded as thymoma. (From Stedman, 25th ed)	Carcinoma, Thymic,Carcinomas, Thymic,Thymic Carcinoma,Thymic Carcinomas,Thymomas