ABSTRACT
Copper and zinc are the elements with numerous physiological activities. Copper [Cu] has an important role in angiogenesis and acts by increasing Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor [VEGF]. Serum levels of copper will be increased in cancer incidence, progression and recurrence. The aim of this study was to measure blood levels of copper, zinc, and the ratio of Cu /Zn, as well as VEGF levels before and after treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Thirty patients who were recently diagnosed with Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia [AML] in Shahid Ghazi Tabatabai oncology hospital enrolled in this clinical trial. On the first day, blood samples were taken for copper, zinc, and VEGF assay and flowcytometry. Treatment protocol was [7x3] regimen. Blood samples were collected for evaluation of copper, zinc, and VEGF. They were sent to Biochemistry Laboratory in medicine faculty for analysis. Amongst 30 AML patients, 14 [46.7%] were female and 16 [53.3%] were male. Patients of various ages ranged from 16 to 53 years, with a median age of 9.1 +/- 9.35 years. The mean serum level of copper, zinc, and mean Cu/Zn ratio before and after treatment showed significant difference [p<0.05] There was also significant difference between the mean VEGF level before and after treatment [p<0.05]. This study reveals that there is no significant relationship between copper, zinc serum levels, their ratio, and VEGF in AML patients. We hypothesize that increased serum copper is associated with increase of VEGF levels which can indicate the impact of copper in malignancies including AML
ABSTRACT
Metastases of internal tumors to the oral cavity are unusual and in most cases involve maxilla and mandible. Metastases to the gingival soft tissue are extremely rare. Reporting a new clinical case of renal cell carcinoma [RCC] metastasis with an unusual site. Metastatic involvement of gingival tissue with renal cell carcinoma is an extremely rare clinical event. It is usually associated with involvement of an internal organ. We present a case of 47-year-old male patient diagnosed with RCC-associated gingival metastasis- who underwent radical nephrectomy. The wide range of localizations and forms of metastatic presentation of renal carcinoma should obligate physicians to be alert during the follow-ups
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Metastasis , Gingival Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
Involvement of the peripheral nervous system is one of the complications of multiple myeloma with a varying incidence of clinical and subclinical neuropathy in different studies. As most of the patients with multiple myeloma suffer from generalized systemic symptoms such as malaise, bone and low back pain, the clinical clues to the diagnosis of the neuropathy in its initial stages could be ignored. In this study, we tried to determine the frequency of peripheral nervous system involvement in these patients by electromyography/nerve conduction [EMG/NCV] studies. This cross-sectional descriptive study of 30 patients with multiple myeloma revealed that 70% of cases showed peripheral nervous system involvement, of whom 57% were found to be asymptomatic and 43% symptomatic for peripheral nervous system disease. The pattern of peripheral nervous system involvement was polyneuropathy [62%] followed by radiculopathy and carpal tunnel syndrome, 52% and 29%, respectively. Most of the neuropathies were of the sensorimotor axonal type. L5, S 1 roots were the most common sites of radiculopathies. Therefore we conclude that the frequency of subclinical peripheral nervous system involvement in multiple myeloma patients was so rampant that evaluation of multiple myeloma patients with EMG/NCV studies was necessary