Multiparametric flow cytometric analysis of estrogen receptor: a study on Egyptian breast cancer patients

Precise prognostication of breast cancer based on immunohistochemical features is a challenging assay. Thus, there is a need for more sophisticated prognostic determinants. This work aims to investigate the sensitivity of flow cytometry for the accurate evaluation of steroid receptor positive, tumor cells in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections. These sections from forty breast cancer patients were subjected to multiparametric flow cytometric analysis for simultaneous assessment of estrogen receptor and DNA content analysis as well as immunohistochemical staining for steroid receptors. Moreover, tumor markers were estimated in the preoperable sera of these patients. About fifty seven percent of tumors were aneuploid. Seven tumors were interpreted positive for ER by FCM and negative by IHC. Flow cytometric results were confirmed by the traditional prognostic factors. Higher levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 occurred predominantly in aneuploid tumors with lymph nodal metastasis and positively immunostained for both estrogen and progesterone receptors. Multiparametric flow cytometric analysis may allows the detection of specific subset of patients that would otherwise escapes detection

Free radicals and hyaluronic acid relationship in rheumatoid arthritis and the effect of corticosteroid therapy

Oxygen-derived free radicals [ODFRs] are important inflammatory mediators. Evidence of ODFRs contribute to rheumatoid disease, include changes in the activities of antioxidant compounds. In the present study, acute phase proteins concentrations; C-reactive protein [CRP], haptoglobin alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein [AGP] were estimated as indicators for inflammation. Antioxidant activities, ferroxidase activity of caeruloplasmin and iron-binding of transferrin against organic oxygen radicals, iron-binding and iron-oxidizing proteins, chain-breaking substances and superoxide dismutase against inorganic oxygen radicals were measured as the protective response to tissue injury. Hyaluronic, uronic acids and mucin-clot test were also determined in the synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis [RA] and osteoarthritis [OA] patients. These parameters were measured in blood and synovial fluid of four groups: normal subjects, OA and RA patients treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs] or steroid drug in an attempt to explain the cause of inflammation which which might account for disease activity of RA. Serum increase of CRP, AGP and haptoglobin levels can serve as an indicator of increase RA disease activity. Corticosteroid treatment may suppress inflammation, where their effects include inhibition of lysosomal proteinase enzyme release, which indicated by lowering alpha1-antitrypsin level in the steroid treated RA patients than in NSAIDs treated ones. The serum antioxidant activity against organic oxygen radicals was significantly higher in the OA and RA patients than that in the normal subjects. This may be a part of the inflammatory response of the body and may also involve protection against lipid peroxidation. Red blood cells [RBCs] superoxide dismutase [SOD] activity was significantly lower in the RA patients than that in the normal subjects or OA patients. Therefore, it would seem that the red blood cells in patients with active RA were easily damaged by exposure to oxidative stress. The increase of iron-binding, iron-oxidizing proteins and chain-breaking substances as antioxidant activities against inorganic oxygen radicals in the RA synovial fluid than OA may be indicator of oxidative damage and reflect major differences in the synovial fluid of patients with RA and those with OA. However, it would appear, that these defense mechanisms are inadequate in fully protection of hyaluronic acid [HA] in the synovial fluid, which was manifested by HA in RA was fragmented and depolymerized than that in the OA synovial fluid. Absence of SOD activity in the synovial fluid RA and OA patients indicated that these patients have less protection against O[2]