Mayo Clinic Laboratory and Pathology Research Roundup: March 13

By Kelley Luedke • March 13, 2017

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The Research Roundup provides an overview of the past week’s research from Mayo Medical Laboratories consultants, including featured abstracts and complete list of published studies and reviews.

Featured Abstract

Clinical and Pathological Evolution of Giant Cell Arteritis: A Prospective Study of Follow-Up Temporal Artery Biopsies in 40 Treated Patients

Although clinical signs and symptoms of giant cell arteritis improve promptly after starting glucocorticoid therapy, reports have suggested that the vascular inflammation may persist. To assess the duration and quality of histopathologic changes in treated patients, Mayo Clinic researchers prospectively obtained second temporal artery biopsies in patients treated for 3 to 12 months after their first diagnostic biopsy. Forty patients (28 women, 12 men) agreed to have a second temporal artery biopsy randomly assigned to 3, 6, 9, or 12 months subsequent to the first. Clinical and laboratory evaluation of the patient cohort revealed a typical rapid response and continued suppression of clinical manifestations as a result of glucocorticoid treatment. Histopathologic findings, evaluated in a blinded manner by a cardiovascular pathologist, showed unequivocal findings of vasculitis in 7/10 patients with second temporal artery biopsy at 3 months, 9/12 at 6 months, 4/9 at 9 months, and 4/9 at 12 months. Lymphocytes were present in all positive initial biopsies and remained the dominant cell population in chronically treated patients. Granulomatous inflammation decreased in a time-dependent manner from 78 to 100% at initial biopsy to 50% at 9 months and 25% at 12 months. The increased medial fibrosis noted in the second biopsies suggested that the finding may represent a chronic finding in arteritis. In summary, the response to glucocorticoids in giant cell arteritis was frequently discordant. Clinical manifestations were readily suppressed, but vascular changes were gradual and often incomplete. The study was published in Modern Pathology.

Published to PubMed This Week

• Environmental Exposures as a Risk Factor for Fibrolamellar Carcinoma
  Modern Pathology
• Inhibiting Histone Deacetylases Suppresses Glucose Metabolism and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth by Restoring FBP1 Expression
  Science Reports
• MRI-Based Texture Analysis to Differentiate Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma from Inverted Papilloma
  American Journal of Neuroradiology
• Prognostic Significance of Lymphatic, Vascular and Perineural Invasion for Bladder Cancer Patients Treated by Radical Cystectomy
  Pathology
• The Nearly Invisible Intraneural Cyst: A New and Emerging Part of the Spectrum
  Neurosurgical Focus
• Hands-on Physics Education of Residents in Diagnostic Radiology
  Academic Radiology

Kelley Luedke

Kelley Luedke is a Marketing Channel Manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. She is the principle editor and writer of Insights and leads social media and direct marketing strategy. Kelley has worked at Mayo Clinic since 2013. Outside of work, you can find Kelley running, traveling, playing with her kitty, and exploring new foods.