Does thymidine phosphorylase correlate with angiogenesis in intraductal carcinoma of the breast?

To determine the association between thymidine phosphorylase [TP] and angiogenesis, and other conventional prognostic markers. We also evaluated interobserver and intraobserver reliability for TP expression in ductal carcinoma, to achieve a more consistent results. Our study included all cases diagnosed in Adnan Menderes University Medical Faculty Hospital, Aydin, Turkey as invasive ductal carcinoma or ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS] with proven component of [>30%], between January 2003 and February 2005. The total number of the cases was 27 and their median age was 50 years. All sections were stained using monoclonal antibody-TP and examined at x40 magnification. Either nuclear or cytoplasmic staining was accepted as positive. The histoscore [H-score] was calculated for each specimen. The tumor stromal vascularity was assessed by monoclonal anti-CD34; and areas of intense vascularization were determined. Conventional immunohistochemical markers such as c-erb B2, Ki-67, estrogen and progesterone receptors and p53 were also applied to all slides. Three pathologists blindly examined each slide under 10 high-power fields [10 HPF] for 2 times in a 2 months period. There was no significant association between stromal vascularity and TP staining of cancer cells [p=0.1] and no correlation was determined between H-scores for TP staining in ductal carcinoma and DCIS components [p=0.5]. There was no significant correlation noted between stromal and periductal vascularity with the anti-CD34 antibody was used. No significant correlation was identified between the TP H-score and stromal or periductal vascularity

Breast carcinogenesis. Transition from hyperplasia to invasive lesions

To examine the balance loss between proliferation and apoptosis that play a role in breast cancer development, and to explore the places of various genes and molecules within this process in this supposed multistep process. We obtained the specimens from 40 patients between 2002 and 2004 at the Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty, Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey. We categorized the lesions ductal hyperplasia [DH], atypical ductal hyperplasia [ADH], in situ ductal carcinoma [DCIS], and invasive ductal carcinoma [IDC]. We determined the tumor size, histological grade and lymph node status of invasive cases and we used nottingham prognostic index [NPI]. We applied ER, PR, c-erbB2, p53, Ki-67, bcl-2, dUTP nick end labeling [TUNEL], breast cancer gene-1, matrix metalloproteinases-1 and tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinases-1 stains to each lesion using the immunohistochemical method. We observed that ER and PR decreased in ADH when compared with DH [p=0.0001 and p=0.019]. However, we determined that in DCIS as c-erbB2 [p=0,005] and Ki-67 [p=0.004] increase, TUNEL [p=0.04] and bcl-2 [p=0.005] decrease, when compared with ADH. When compared with DCIS lesions, we observed the existence of a higher c-erbB2 [p=0,003] and a lower TUNEL [p=0,012] in invasive tumors. Furthermore, we found that there is a higher MMP-1 [p=0,04] in invasive lesions, when compared with non-invasive lesions. We detected higher PR [p=0,049], lower TUNEL and c-erbB2 [p=0,017] in low grade group of NPI, when compared with high grade group of NPI. As a result, it has been shown that together with increase in proliferation, decrease in apoptosis, too, contributes to the proliferation/apoptosis imbalance that occurs in breast carcinogenesis. Increase in proliferation and decrease in apoptosis are parallel with the progression of lesions. We also showed that the changes, beginning with loss of ER and PR in ADH step, can cause malign transformation, which is especially notable both in DCIS step due to Ki-67 and c-erbB2 increase, and also with bcl-2 and TUNEL decrease

Salmonellosis and ulcerative colitis. A causal relationship or just a coincidence

Coincidence of salmonellosis and ulcerative colitis is a rare clinical problem. Salmonella infection was reported to complicate the ulcerative colitis, as either facilitating its occurrence or activation. In this article, we present a case with salmonellosis whose clinicopathological findings also suggested ulcerative colitis. The patient improved rapidly after taking additional mesalazine to norfloxacin treatment. We conclude that salmonella infection might have either been coincidentally present or might have triggered an early ulcerative colitis in this patient who did not have history of inflammatory bowel diseases. In case of persistent severe diarrhea despite appropriate treatment, the possibility of a coincident inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis should always be considered, especially in endemic regions for salmonellosis