Clinical significance of hTERC and C-Myc genes amplification in a group of egyptian patients with cancer cervix

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide after breast cancer. Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. The implementation of cervical cancer screening programs has greatly decreased the morbidity and mortality, as precancerous lesions and early invasive cervical cancer could be detected and treated effectively. The detection of hTERC gene amplification was suggested as a possible diagnostic marker for use in routine cytological screening. The present study was designed to detect genomic gains of the hTERC and C-MYC genes using FISH technique and to investigate the relationship between genes amplification and the clinical data of the patients. The current study was carried out on twelve cases with cervical cancer at different grades [three cases were grade I, six cases were grade II and three cases were grade III]. Interphase FISH analysis using LSI probe, Cervical Cancer probe hTERC [3q26] and C-MYC [8q24], was successfully performed on 12 patients with cancer cervix. Interphase FISH analysis revealed positive hTERC gene amplification in all cases of cancer cervix [100%]. However C-MYC gene amplification was detected in four cases only [33.3%]. Statistical analysis of the data revealed significant correlation between hTERC amplification and grating. Also, there was significant correlation between C-MYC amplification and grading and highly significant correlation between C-MYC amplification and hTERC amplification. On the other hand hTERC and C-MYC genes amplification showed an inverse correlation with the ages of the patients. The present study highlights the importance of using hTERC and C-MYC genes FISH probes for cases with cancer cervix or pre-malignant lesions as a sensitive technique. This method provides an easy and effective applicable approach which helps in the diagnosis and prognosis, as an increased copy number is associated with a more advanced grade that could be detected in the early stages of the disease

Study on the effect of oral hypoglycaemic agents on arterial stiffness among Malays with type II diabetes mellitus

To determine the effect of two regimens of oral hypoglycaemic agents: sulphonylurea monotherapy and metformin in combination with sulphonylurea on arterial stiffness. A case control study was conducted at the Family Medicine and Diabetic Clinic, HUSM from May 2004 until May 2005. Sixty subjects receiving sulphonylurea alone and ninety subjects on combination therapy with metformin participated in this study. A simple random sampling method using a draw lot was used to select 51 subjects for each group. Augmentation index [AI] was measured using the Sphygmocor apparatus and all measurements were performed by the investigators after an earlier validation study. The mean augmentation index measurements were analyzed. The mean AI values of diabetic subjects treated with sulphonylurea monotherapy and a combination with metformin were 140.51 +/- 11.42 vs 140.14 +/- 12.86, p= 0.877. AI values were significantly higher in females compared with males [143.23 +/- 10.60 vs 135.82 +/- 13.01, 95% CI: -12.07, -2.73, p = 0.002]. Duration of diabetes [in years] was significantly less [3.46 +/- 3.16 vs 5.41 +/- 3.66, p = 0.005] for sulphonylurea monotherapy patients compared with combination therapy patients. This study shows that sulphonylurea monotherapy and metformin in combination with sulphonylurea have similar effects on arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetes subjects. Diabetes is associated with a greater arterial stiffness in women compared with men