ABSTRACT
Introduction: Trace elements are primary components of biological structures; however, they can be toxic when their concentrations are higher than those needed for biological functions. Materials and Methods: In the present study serum levels of trace elements were measured in 30 patients (mean age was 26.9±11.2 years) newly diagnosed with germ cell testicular cancer and 32 healthy volunteers (mean age: 27.4±10.8) by using furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Serum samples were stored at-20°C until assays. Results: In patients with germ cell testicular cancer, the diagnosis was seminoma in 15, mix germ cell tumor in 7, embryonal carcinoma in 4, yolk sac tumor in 2 and teratoma in 2 patients. There was stage I testicular tumor in 19 patients (63.3%) while stage II in 6 patients (20.0%), stage IIIA in 4 patients (13.3%) and stage IIIC in one patient (3.4%). It was found that serum Co, Cu, Mg and Pb levels were increased (p<0.05), whereas Fe, Mn, and Zn levels were decreased in patients with testicular cancer (p<0.05). Conclusions: These alterations may be important in the pathogenesis of testicular cancers; however, further prospective studies are needed to identify the relationship between testicular cancer and trace elements.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Humans , Male , Young Adult , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/blood , Testicular Neoplasms/blood , Trace Elements/blood , Biomarkers, Tumor/blood , Case-Control Studies , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/etiology , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/pathology , Reference Values , Risk Factors , Spectrophotometry, Atomic , Statistics, Nonparametric , Testicular Neoplasms/etiology , Testicular Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
Familial testicular germ cell tumors are well known in literature. Only few cases are reported where both brother and sister of the same family suffered from germ cell malignancies. We present a family where the proband is a survivor of ovarian dysgerminoma stage IA. Her elder male sibling became acutely ill and was detected to have disseminated testicular malignancy with grossly elevated markers and vegetations in the mitral valve leaflets. Despite all measures he could not be saved. Presence of germ cell malignancies in the siblings of different sex in the same family points toward a genetic susceptibility. Literature review revealed only six similar cases. A discussion regarding the rare occurrence of familial germ cell malignancies with the affected family members may be worthwhile.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Dysgerminoma/etiology , Dysgerminoma/genetics , Female , Family , Germinoma/etiology , Germinoma/genetics , Humans , Male , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/etiology , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/genetics , Siblings , Testicular Neoplasms/etiology , Testicular Neoplasms/geneticsABSTRACT
Objetivo. Revisión de la literatura para conocer los aspectos epidemiológicos relacionados con los tumores de células germinales (TCG), en niños. Fuente de datos. Revisión del Medline hasta febrero de 1995. La información se contrastó con la experiencia obtenida en la institución donde laboran los autores. Se obtuvieron las fotocopias de los artículos aparecidos en los últimos 15 años. Se analizó y sintetizó la información de cada artículo, presentado en este documento la información de mayor interés. Conclusiones. De los informes publicados los TCG representan menos de 2 por ciento de los tumores que se presentan en hombre y menos de 4 por ciento de los que padecen las mujeres. Su localización más frecuente es la región sacrococcígea. Los TCG gonadales son más frecuentes en hombres de 0-4 años, mientras que las mujeres habitualmente lo presentan en el inicio de la segunda década de la vida. los tumores extragonadales ocurren en ambos sexos, habitualmente antes de los cinco años de edad. No se apreció que hubiese alguna tendencia a aumentar su incidencia. Los principales factores de riesgo para TCG es el testículo criptorquídico y la susceptibilidad aumentada al cáncer en los diversos síndromes genéticos y de deficiencias inmunitarias. Se consideran necesarios mayores estudios epidemiológicos para un mejor conocimiento de los factores de riesgo y para poder establecer otras asociaciones