PMC3969881_01
Contrast-enhanced CT shows the enhancing polypoid mass (arrow) involving the left lateral nasopharyngeal wall.
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F1
Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated an enhancing polypoid lesion that measured 2.2 x 1.8 x 1.7 cm (figure 1).
A: Cross-section examination of the tumor reveals dark-brown pigmentation in the mucosa and tumor parenchyma with areas of hemorrhage and necrosis. B: Microscopic section shows the hypercellular tumor partially covered by squamous mucosa, along with areas of pigmentation (H&E, original magnification x50). C: The tumor is composed of heavily pigmented pleomorphic spindle cells with mitotic figures (H&E, original magnification x100). D: Immunohistochemistry shows diffuse positivity for HMB-45 (original magnification x100)
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F2
Cross-sectioning revealed pigmentation with hemorrhagic foci (figure 2, A). Microscopic examination demonstrated a squamous mucosa with atypical melanocytes (figure 2, B) and a subepithelial hypercellular mass with pleomorphic and heavily pigmented spindle-shaped cells (figure 2, C). Confirmatory immunohistochemical studies revealed that the tumor cells were diffusely positive for S-100 protein, HMB-45 (figure 2, D), Melan-A, and PNL-2.
Image shows the agarose gel electrophoresis of nested PCR amplicons. Appropriately sized bands were detected for CTLA-4, IL-17A, IL-17C, and IL-17E. No detectable bands were found for IL-17B, IL-17D, IL-17F, PLZF, Foxp3, RORgammat, CD27, CD70, and the negative control (no template DNA). The 100-bp ladder is shown in the left lane.
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F3
Agarose gel electrophoresis of the PCR amplicons showed that CTLA-4, IL-17A, IL-17C, and IL-17E were upregulated (figure 3).