Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell: a source for cell-based therapy

The ability of mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs] to differentiate into many cell types, and modulate immune responses, makes them an attractive therapeutic tool for cell transplantation and tissue engineering. This project was designed for isolation, culture, and characterization of human marrow-derived MSCs based on the immunophenotypic markers and the differentiation potential. Bone marrow of healthy donors was aspirated from the iliac crest. Mononuclear cells were layered over the Ficoll-Paque density-gradient and plated in tissue cultures dish. The adherent cells expanded rapidly and maintained with periodic passages until a relatively homogeneous population was established. The identification of adherent cells and the immune-surface markers was performed by flow cytometric analysis at the third passage. The in vitro differentiation of MSCs into osteoblast and adipo-cytes was also achieved. The MSCs were CDllb [CR3], CD45, CD34, CD31 [PCAM-1], CD40, CD80 [B7-1], and HLA-class II negative because antigen expression was less than 5%, while they showed a high expression of CD90, and CD73. The differentiation of osteoblasts, is determined by deposition of a mineralized extracellular matrix in the culture plates that can be detected with Alizarin Red. Adipocytes were easily identified by their morphology and staining with Oil Red. MSCs can be isolated and expanded from most healthy donors, providing for a source of cell-based therapy

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene t-786c polymorphism in renal transplant recipients

Nitric oxide [NO] is a major mediator in vascular biology, regulating regional blood flow. NO and the enzymes required for its production contribute to ischemia-reperfusion injury. The T-786C functional polymorphism in the promoter region substantially reduces promoter activity of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS] gene and compromises endothelial NO synthesis. To examine the association between T-786C [rs 2070744] single nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] in eNOS gene and the development of acute rejection in renal transplant patients. 60 renal transplant recipients [30 with episodes of acute rejection [ARs] and 30 without rejection [non-ARs]], between June 2008 and March 2010, were included in this study. The polymorphism was determined by PCR-restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis. The distribution of the genotypes were TT/TC/CC 60%, 33.4%, 6.6%, and 43%, 46.7%, 13.3% in ARs and non-ARs, respectively [p=0.28]. The frequency of T-allele was 76.7% and 66.3%; and for C-allele was 66.6% and 33.3% in ARs and non-ARs, respectively [p=0.09]. There were no significant associations between these polymorphisms and acute and chronic kidney allograft rejection. We could not detect any significant association between polymorphism in T-786C of eNOS gene and the development of acute rejection

Relation between actinomycosis and histopathological and clinical features of the palatine tonsils: an Iranian experience

Actinomycosis of the tonsils has been reported in a variable percentage of tonsil specimens by other authors. This study determines the incidence of actinomyces in the palatine tonsil and evaluates the clinical diagnoses and histopathological features of tonsillectomy specimens. In a retrospective study, 204 patients who had undergone tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis [group A] and for sleep apnea without a history of recurrent tonsillitis [group B] were enrolled. The prevalence rate was significantly higher in the adult compared with the pediatric population. The prevalence of tonsillar actinomycetes colonization was higher in patients who had undergone tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis [43.9%] than in patients who had undergone tonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea [26.3%]. The prevalence did not differ by sex of patient. Histopathological analysis of resected tonsils did not show active tissue infection. There was a statistically significant relationship between the presence of actinomycosis and age, with a greater occurrence of actinomycosis in adult patients. Although actinomyces colonization is more prevalent in patients with recurrent tonsillitis than sleepdisordered breathing, but the presence of actinomyces does not indicate any active disease

Association of the co-stimulatory molecules polymorphisms with CMV infection in liver transplant recipients

Co-stimulatory molecules play a critical role in regulating T-cell function during CMV infection after liver transplantation. To investigate the relationship between the polymorphisms of the co-stimulatory genes and the susceptibility to CMV infection after liver transplantation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] in PD-1 gene [PD1.1 A/G, PD1.3 A/G, PD1.9 C/T] ICOS [-693 A/G, 1720 C/T], CTLA-4 gene [-318 C/T, 1722 T/C, 1661 A/G, 49 A/G] and CD28 [+17 C/T] were analyzed by PCR-RFLP in 70 liver transplant patients. CMV infection was determined in these patients by antigenemia test. CTLA-4 49G showed significant association with CMV infection [p=0.03, OR=3.82, 95% CI: 0-3.5; p=0.01, OR=004, 95% CI: 0-1.3]. G and T alleles in CTLA-4 gene [-318 C/T and 1661 A/G] [p=0.03, OR=0, 95% CI: 0-3.5; p=0.01, OR=0.04, 95% CI: 0-1.3] were significantly higher in CMV-infected rejector group. CTLA-4 have significant role in CMV pathogenesis and rejection among CMV-positive liver transplant patients

effect of egg yolk oil in the healing of third degree burn wound in rats

Burn injury is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. A domestic medication in wound healing, preventing infection and reduction of scar tissue as well as availability is still an important challenge. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of yolk egg oil in treatment of burn wounds in rats. A standard 3[rd] degree burn wound was produced and the animals were divided into three groups according to topical treatment including yolk oil, 1% silver sulfadiazine [SSD] and control. In days 7, 14 and 30, animal's weight, wound size, as well as histopathological findings of skin were evaluated in different groups. Average size of wound after 7 days was 3.4, 5.3, and 6.7 cm in yolk oil, SSD and control groups. There were significant differences between yolk oil and the other groups in this aspect. The wound size of yolk egg group was also significantly smaller than other groups in 14[th] and 30[th] days. Results of the histological studies indicated significant differences between yolk oil, SSD and control groups on day 30, with mean score of 3.75, 3.5 and 2.8 respectively. The difference between yolk oil and the other groups was significant. Yolk oil-treated burned animals showed abundant re-epithelialization without tissue scar in comparison with SSD group. Although the egg yolk has many vital nutrients, but its exact mechanism in healing process is unknown. Therefore, further studies evaluating the influence of individual components on burn-healing process is advised

molecular and antigenic tissue impact of viral infections on liver transplant patients with neonatal hepatitis

Pathogenesis of neonatal hepatitis relates to various underlying causes including viral infections. Both hepatotropic and non-hepatotropic viruses may induce liver failures in infants before birth, during delivery, or shortly after birth. The tissue impact of HCMV, HSV, HBV, HCV, and rotavirus and adenovirus infections was evaluated in studied infants with neonatal hepatitis. The history of viral infections was analyzed in paraffin-embedded biopsy and autopsy tissues of 22 infants with neonatal hepatitis between years 1996 and 2007, retrospectively. The tissue molecular presentation of HBV, HCV, HCMV, HSV, adenovirus, and rotavirus was evaluated by different qualitative simple and nested PCR and RT-PCR protocols. Immunohistochemistry [IHC] method was used for studying the antigenic prevalence of HSV-1, 2; HBV, HCMV and adenovirus infections. Also the laboratory liver indices of all patients with neonatal hepatitis were analyzed. The HBV and HSV genomes were detected in 3 [14%] of 22 infants. The rotavirus and HCV-RNA and also the HCMV-DNA were detected separately in 1 [4%] of 26 paraffin-embedded autopsy and biopsy tissues. The HBV and HSV-1 specific antigens were separately diagnosed in 1 [4%] of 26 neonatal samples by IHC protocols. Also the HSV-2 antigen was seen in 5 [23%] of 22 liver autopsy and biopsy specimens. Co-infections with HCMV, HSV, HBV, HCV, and rotavirus were detected in these infants with hepatitis. Diagnosis of single and mixed molecular and antigenic traces of HCMV, HSV, HBV, HCV and rotavirus underlines the etiologic role of these viruses in clinical pathogenesis of neonatal hepatitis

Dedifferentiated chordoma: a case report

Sarcomatous transformation [dedifferentiated chordoma] in chordoma is a very rare condition and has been emphasized as a distinct entity because of its more aggressive clinical course. Here we describe a case of dedifferentiated chordoma arising from the sacrococcygeal region of a 60-year-old man, in third tumor recurrence. This tumor showed features of sarcoma with areas more typical of chordoma The chordoma-like areas expressed cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen and S-100 protein in all tumor cells and the spindle-cell component exhibited vimentin positivity in all of them but negative for other markers. The results showed that the sarcomatous areas as seen in the recurrent chordoma lack epithelial cell features of chordoma and suggest the possibility of altered differentiation pathway of the tumor stem cell or emergence of a new malignant cell population within the recurrent tumor

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma [gorlin] syndrome [case report]

A16 year old boy was admitted to the hospital because of a swelling on the left side of mandible .He had multiple small indurated pearly papules on the head and neck with multiple well circumscribed radiolucent cystic space in mandible on panoramic radiography and CT-scan. Histopathologic studies of mandibular cyst and skin lesions revealed the finding in favor of nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome [NBCCS]

Cartilaginous choristoma in palatine tonsil

Choristoma is a tumor-like mass consisting of tissues foreign to the site at which they are located. We report an 18 years old male presenting with persistent tonsillitis. Histological examination demonstrated the unexpected presence of a mature island of hyaline cartilage surrounded by lymphoid hyperplasia

Survival of breast cancer in Southern Iran

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women in the western world. With breast cancer now affecting one in ten women, it is important to know how this disease burden is shared among women. This study was undertaken to determine the survival rate of breast cancer in southern Iran. From December 2001 to December 2006, among 8000 hospital-based registered cancer cases in southern Iran, 863 individuals with breast cancer entered our study. One, 5, 10 and 15 year-survival rates were estimated by Kaplan Meier function. Mean age at the time of diagnosis of breast cancer was 46.3 years [SD=11.5]. About 25.4% had a previous family history of cancer in their first and 13.8% in their second degree relatives. About 92.5%, 71.3% and 41.4% of breast cancer cases underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, respectively. Nearly 11.7% of patients had a history of exposure to chemical materials. About 32.3% were passive and 19.2% were active smokers. Totally, one, 5, 10 and 15 year-survival rates were 97%, 67%, 45% and 25%, respectively. The survival rate had a significant negative correlation with age at the time of diagnosis. The survival rate of women with breast cancer in southern Iran seems to be identical to other parts of the country and stands between western and eastern European countries

effect of bioGlue on cerebral cortex in experimental rats

BioGlue is a newly introduced sealant applied by several cardiovascular surgeons to seal graft anastomoses. This study was carried out to determine the effect of a synthetic BioGlue on the repair of meninges in comparison with contemporary bioadhesives. A synthetic BioGlue was provided by combining 45% human serum albumin and 10% glutaraldehyde. Forty Wistar female rats were randomly divided into 4 equal groups [Two case and two control groups]. After craniotomy, dural incision was performed and the motor cortex was exposed. In the case group, the motor cortex was exposed to BioGlue and in the control group, the incision was closed without application of BioGlue. The rats were studied histpathologically after 5 and 14 days postcraniotomy. Synthetic BioGlue caused an acute inflammatory response that resulted in a delayed gliosis in the superficial cerebral cortex, but the deep layers and adjacent areas of cortex were spared. Inflammatory changes and gliosis did not cause cell apoptosis or necrosis. Histopathological changes did not have any clinical significance as they were not accompanied by any neurological deficit or motor weaknesses and exposure to synthetic BioGlue could not cause any clinically significant neurological deficit either. The simplicity of producing this new synthetic BioGlue and its relative low cost, compared to other similar glues, opens a new horizon to the use of this synthetic BioGlue in the neurosurgical field

Retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava: a case report

Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava [IVC] is a rare sarcoma, but it is the most common primary malignancy of the IVC. It has an extremely gloomy prognosis. We describe a 40 year-old white female complaining of abdominal fullness for 7 weeks before she sought medical assistance. Initial work-up including sonography and computed tomography showed a huge tumoral mass in the abdominal cavity seemingly originating from the IVC with displacement of the right ureter and hydronephrosis. The patient underwent surgical resection of the tumor. Pathologic diagnosis was leiomyosarcoma. Postoperatively, she was placed on coumadin and adjuvant chemotherapy was started. Considering the aggressiveness of this tumor, early radical enblock resection with clear margins is still the only chance for long-term survival

Intraoperative imprint cytological diagnosis of heterotopic thyroid presenting as sellar mass

A 43-year-old woman presented with headache, nausea, severe visual impairment and galactorrhea and decreased visual acuity. A 4 x 3.5 x 3 cm mass completely filling the sphenoid sinus, elevating the pituitary gland and stalk was observed. The patient underwent transsphenoidal removal of the lesion to alleviate visual loss. The tumor cells showed strong positivity for thyroglobulin and TTF-1. This patient was followed up for 2 years after the operation; the laboratory study and computed tomography showed no lesions. In conclusion, this is a rare benign finding in which complete surgical resection achieves a cure

Amniotic membrane transplantation for the treatment of pseudomonas keratitis in experimental rabbits

Amniotic membrane transplantation [AMT] has been considered in combination with medical treatment in progressive infective keratitis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of AMT as an adjunctive treatment in the management of experimental pseudomonas keratitis. Cryopreserved AMT was performed on 12 pseudomonas rabbit corneal ulcers. After one week in one group amniotic membrane transplantation combined Poostchi Eye Research Center with topical medical treatment was done [AMT group]. At the end of the second week, the clinical and pathological findings were compared with those obtained from eight corneal ulcers in another group which had only been treated with topical medication [control group]. There was not any significant difference in clinical signs between the two groups at the end of the second week. Corneal perforation was found in three cases of the control group but in none of the cases in the AMT group. Amniotic membranes were melted in four eyes, retracted in three eyes and intact in five eyes. Pathologic examination showed no significant difference in cellular infiltration or density of organism between the two groups. AMT is effective in preventing corneal perforation in the early stage of experimental pseudomonas keratitis

healing effect of vitreous body on repair of cartilage defects of knee joint in dog as an animal model

To investigate the healing effects of vitreous body in repair of cartilage defects of the knee joint in dog as an animal model. Ten mature cross-bred female dogs weighing 20-35 kg entered our study. The right and left knees underwent a medial parapatellar incision arthrotomy. A cartilage defect was created by a six mm drill to subchondral bone in the right knee and the two borders of the fascia were fixed to the space of the joint defect. The vitreous was provided through a clear corneal incision to completely fill the joint defect. In the left knee, the cartilage defect was left untreated. The dogs were sacrificed after 3 months post-operation and the samples were studied for any sign of repair. The defects of the right knee showed more signs of repair compared to the left knee after 12 weeks. Fibrous and hyaline tissues, new bone and blood vessels formation were significantly more visible in the right knee. Modified histological scoring scale in the right and left knees were 5.8 and 11, respectively. The results imply the promising effect of vitreous body implantation in the healing of a cartilage defect in the knee joint

value of immunohistochemical markers in pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland

In recent years, immunohistochemical markers have provided considerable contribution to salivary gland tumor diagnosis and classification. The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic value of various cytokeratin markers and smooth muscle actin [SMA] in differential diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma [PA] and adenoid cystic carcinoma [ACC]. In this retrospective study, 35 cases of salivary gland tumors composed of 19 PA and 16 ACC were selected and immunohistochemical staining with six cytokeratin markers [CK7, CK8, CK13, CK14, CK17 and CK18] and SMA were performed. The positivity of these markers in both typical and atypical areas of each tumor was compared. Positivity was defined if 10% or more of the cells were immunostained. In the PA group, there was no difference between luminal and stromal expression of CK7, CK8, CK13, CK14, CK17, and CK18 in both typical and atypical areas except SMA that was not expressed in the atypical area. No statistically significant differences were found between the expression of CK7, CK8, CK14 and CK18 in both typical and atypical areas of ACC group, with no expression of SMA in atypical area. It seems that the immunoprofile of the atypical area of both PA and ACC are similar to each other and IHC does not help to differentiate them

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphism and homocysteine level in patients with pseudoexfoliation and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma in southern Iran

Pseudoexfoliation [PEX] syndrome leads to elevated intraocular pressure and consequent glaucomatous damage of the optic nerve. This study was performed to investigate the frequency of MTHFR, 677 C-T polymorphism and homocysteine [Hcy] levels in Iranian patients with PEX and PEX glaucoma were compared to that in normal population. Thirty four patients with PEX, 27 with PEX and glaucoma, and 32 control subjects were enrolled. Pregnant patients with any systemic disorder such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus, usage of vitamin supplements or any condition affecting homocysteine level were excluded. Fasting total homocysteine [tHCT] levels of all the participants were determined, using an ELISA method and values exceeding 14 micromole /L were considered as an elevation. MTHFR genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism [PCR-RFLP]. Genotyping of polymorphism was done with polymerase chain reaction. The patients' mean age was 67 years [range 50-90 years] in all three groups and the male to female ratio was 2:1. The mean plasma homocysteine level was 13.95 +/- 8.7 in the PEX, 16.37 +/- 8.2 and 14.22 +/- 11.32 in the PEX glaucoma and the control group, respectively. The rate of C677T polymorphism was 44% in the PEX, 52% in the PEX glaucoma, and 40% in the control group. The result of this study implies that neither C677T polymorphism nor hyperhomocysteinemia can be considered as major risk factors for PEX or PEX glaucoma in Iranian population

Apocrine hidrocystoma in external auditory canal

The present report describes clinical, radiographic, and pathological features of an external auditory canal giant apocrine hidrocystoma in a 36-year-old Iranian woman. To the best of our knowledge, this tumor has not previously been reported in this area. There was no evidence of local recurrence one year after surgery

Paraganglioma with radiographic dye: an interesting histopatholological finding

Extraadrenal paraganglioma makes up a dispersed neuroendocrine system which extends from the base of the skull down to the pelvic floor. Paraganglioma have been found in particularly every site in which normal paraganglia are known to occur. Herein, we present a typical case of carotid body paraganglioma according to both histological and immunohistochemical findings. The presence of a large ribbon-like amphophilic to basophilic amorphous material which, according to the history of angiography, must result from the precipitation of angiographic dye makes this entity unique and the first to be reported

Charcot-leyden crystals in hodgkin's lymphoma

Herein, we reported on a middle-aged woman presented with painless cervical lymphadenopathy. Past medical history was not significant. Pathologic examination of incisional biopsy show partial effacement of lymph node architecture with many reactive inflammatory cells admixed with Reed-Sternberg cells, many Charcot-Leyden crystals, and noncaseating granu-loma. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for the classic Reed-Sternberg cells for CD15 and CD30 and was negative for CD45 and CD20. All these findings confirmed the diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Charcot-Leyden crystals, is considered a morphologic hallmark of eosinophil-related diseases. However, to the best of our knowledge, only one case of Hodgkin's lymphoma has been reported in the world literature who has had Charcot-Leyden crystals