prognostic significance of proliferative factors, angiogenesis and matrix metalloproteinase in non small cell lung carcinoma

The outcome of surgical treatment of non small cell lung carcinoma [NSCLC] remains poor. In many patients the biological behavior of NSCLC does not follow a definite pattern, and can not be accurately predicted before treatment. Thus, the proliferative potential of tumor cells, angiogenesis and matrix metalloproteinase [MMP] are an important prognostic factors. In the present study, expression of cyclin D1, CD34, MMP-2 and AgNORs count was estimated in a group of 80 surgically resected NSCLC using immunohistochemistry. The results were compared with clinicopathological parameters including patients' survival 41 cases [51.3%] revealed positive immunoreactivity for cyclin D1. Cyclin D1 overexpression is significantly higher [<0.05] in patients with lymph node metastasis [63.3% versus 15%], and with advanced pathological stages [stage I, 12.5%, II 37.5%, III 60% and IV 86.7%]. Patients with cyclin D1 positive immanoreactivity revealed a significantly shorter overall survival than patients with negativity. There is no significant correlation [p > 0.05] between CD34 score and histological type and grade, while there is significant positive correlation [p < 0.05] between high CD34 score and lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, tumor stage and shorter over survival. No significant correlations [p > 0.05] were found between MMP-2 expression and histological type, grade and lymph node metastasis. In contrast the intensity of MMP-2 staining in tumor cells correlated significantly [p < 0.05] with tumor stage, and distant metastasis. Overall survival was shorter in patient with MMP-2 expression, although the difference does not reach statistical significant AgNORs count was found to correlate significantly [p < 0.05] with tumor grade, and the size, shape and distribution pattern was found to show a characteristic difference between non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions. In conclusion, an overexpression of cyclin D1, angiogenesis, expression of MMP-2 and high AgNORs count are a poor prognostic factors for NSCLC, also MMP-2 and AgNORs can be used to differentiate between non-neoplastic and neoplastic lung lesions

Radiotoxicity of gamma rays and radioprotection of antioxidant vitamins against sperm head malformation in irradiated mice

In this study, 140 Swiss albino mice [Mus muscularis] aged 7 weeks and weight 15-20 gm. were used. The animals were sorted into groups, one of them was irradiated with two concentration of gamma rays 300 and 900 rad, other groups were treated with aqueous vitamin C solution; vitamin E solution dissolved in olive oil and both of them together [C and E] at two concentrations, 100 and 500 mg/kg/day for one month, then radiated in two doses 300 and 900 rad. Sperm head abnormalities in non irradiated; irradiated and pretreated with vitamins groups then irradiated were recorded. The irradiation with 300 and 900 rad caused an increase in the sperm head abnormalities compared to the control. On the other hand, animals pretreated with vitamins each alone and combination of the two together showed a decrease in the percentage of abnormalities caused by irradiation. So, vitamin C and vitamin E [antioxidant] were considered as radioprotection