The Expression of Apolipoprotein D in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein D (Apo D) has recently been identified as a novel tumor suppressor gene. Apo D may have a profound effect on the carcinogenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. This study was designed to evaluate the expression of Apo D in hepatocellular carcinoma and to investigate the relationship between the expression of Apo D and the clinicopathological characteristics and the patients' survival. METHODS: An immunohistochemical study was performed on the tumors and tissues from 43 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with controls to determine the expression of Apo D protein. RESULTS: Our data showed that a higher expression of Apo D was seen in 10 of 43 cases (23.3%), while a lower and no expression of Apo D was observed in 28 of 43 cases (65.1%) and 5 of 43 cases (11.6%), respectively. A reduced expression of Apo D was correlated with the tumor stage (p = 0.037) and tumor size (p = 0.017). However, the patients' 5-year survival was not associated with the expression of Apo D (p = 0.903). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a reduced Apo D protein expression may play an important role in HCC progression as associated with the tumor stage and size, but it does not affect the survival of HCC patients.

Reproducción y fertilidad humana: aspectos biomédicos de la familia de las lipocalinas: biología, patobiología y bioclínica / Human reproduction and fertility: biomedical aspects of the lipocalin family: biology, pathobiology and bioclinic aspects

La familia de genes de las lipocalinas (LCN) está compuesta por varios miembros que comparten una estructura común y que se han duplicado en forma repetida durante la evolución expandiéndose a más de 150 genes conocidos, de ellos al menos veinte reportados en la especie humana. El grupo de proteínas de las LCN está constituido por varios elementos que comparten la propiedad común de unión de ligandos lipofílicos. Las LCN funcionan en un amplio rango de sistemas incluyendo quimiorrecepción y transporte en fisiología sensorial del gusto y olor, coloración, modulación hemato-inmune, síntesis de prostanglandina D2, neuro-fisiología, fisiología reproductiva y fertilidad, embriogénesis, proliferación y división celular, supervivencia y apoptosis celular. Es evidente su rol en patobiología y bioclínica reproductiva y de la fertilidad al observar que varias LCN tienen niveles alterados de expresión en diferentes eventos patofisiológicos. Esta revisión resume hallazgos e implicaciones

The family of the lipocalin (LCN) genes is composed by various members that share a common structure and haveduplicated repeatedly during evolution expanding to more than 150 known genes of which at least 20 have been reported in the human species. The group of lipocalin-related proteins is comprised by a number of elements which share various common properties such as binding to different lipophilic ligands. Lipocalins are involved in a broad range of systems including chemoreception and transport functions in sensory physiology of taste and smell, coloration, modulation of hemato-immune response, synthesis of prostaglandin D2, neurophysiology, physiology of reproduction and fertility, embryogenesis, cell proliferation and division, and cell survival and apoptosis. Its role is evident in the pathophysiology and bioclinical aspects of reproduction and fertility consistent with the observation of altered levels of expression of several lipocalins in different pathophysiological events. This review summarizes findings and implications on this topic.

A clinicopathological study of perianal Paget's disease associated with internal rectal adenocarcinoma / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinicopathological features and the immunohistochemical phenotype of perianal Paget's disease (PPD) associated with internal anorectal adenocarcinoma, with emphasis on the histogenesis of Paget's cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical and pathologic features of three cases of PPD with rectal adenocarcinoma were investigated. Periodic-acid-Schiff (PAS), alcian-blue and mucicarmine staining with and without diastase digestion were performed. The immunohistochemical study was performed on selected sections by a panel of antibodies including carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CK7, CK8, CK10/13, CK20 and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP15).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All three cases occurred in middle to old age male patients complaining of anal bleeding. Digital physical examination revealed ulcerated or cauliflower-like masses in the anus just distal to the dentate line. Perianal skin erythematous patches were found in two cases, and small discrete granules in one case. Histologically, the anorectal neoplasm was either a moderately or poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Two types of Paget's cells were noted, namely the classical type characterized by a polygonal shape with vesicular nuclei and abundant pale cytoplasm, and the signet ring type characterized by eccentrically displaced nucleus. Both the rectal adenocarcinoma cells and Paget's cells showed strong positivity for PAS, AB and mucicarmine, which were resistant to the diastase digestion. Immunohistochemically, they were both positive for CEA, CK7, CK8 and CK20, but negative for CK10/13 and GCDFP15.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The CK20(+)-GCDFP15(-) type Paget's cells in PPD were derived from the direct intraepithelial Pagetoid spread of anorectal adenocarcinomas. PPD was more frequently associated with internal carcinomas than any other type of extramammary Paget's disease. It is recommended that clinicians should carefully examine the anus or rectum in the presence of PPD to ascertain if it is associated with an internal carcinoma.</p>

comparative study of lipoproteins, apolipoprotein A-I and B and lipoprotein [A] between Egyptian males and females in different age groups

Eighty normolipidemic healthy normal persons aged 25-65 years were chosen and divided into two groups, a male group [n=40] and a female group [n=40]. Each group was subdivided according to age into four subgroups: Group 1 [>25-35 years], group 2 [>35-45 years], group 3 [>45-55 years] and group 4 [>55-65 years]. For all cases, total cholesterol [TC], low-density lipoprotein [LDLc], high-density lipoprotein [HDLc], triglycerides [TG], apolipoproteins A-1 and B [Apo-A-1 and Apo-B] and lipoprotein [a] [Lp[a]] were measured. It was concluded that age and sex dependent reference normal range is important when assessing atherosclerotic risk by lipoprotein assay and it must be followed, better for each community separately