Diagnostic value of total serum/free prostate specific antigen and prostate cancer antigen-3 levels in prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare serum total and free prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and serum prostate cancer antigen-3 (PCA3) levels in patients with prostate cancer in 2018 and 2019. METHODS: This research was a prospective case-control study. The case group included all patients with suspected prostate cancer, and the control group included individuals without prostate disease who were referred to Ali Asghar and Nour Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, from October 2018 to October 2020. The serum total PSA, free PSA, and PCA3 levels in both groups were measured using the ELISA method with standard kits and compared between the groups. RESULTS: The two groups were matched in terms of age and body mass index (BMI). The results showed that the mean free PSA level in the control group was significantly higher than that in the case group (P<0.05). Conversely, the mean total PSA level in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in the mean PCA3 levels between the case and control groups. In addition, the total PSA variable with a cutoff of ≤3.14 exhibited 93% sensitivity and 82% specificity, demonstrating the highest diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing between prostate cancer and healthy individuals. Similarly, the PCA3 value with a cutoff of ≤3.5 had a sensitivity and specificity of 70% and 72%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Overall, the study results indicated that total PSA and PCA3 levels have higher diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing patients with suspected prostate cancer from healthy individuals.

Multicentricity in Different Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer: A Cross-sectional Study in Isfahan.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer leading to death in women. Women with multicentric breast cancer were reported more likely to have poor prognosis. Here, we decided to study and compare the frequency distribution of multicentricity in different subtypes of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was performed in 2019-20 on medical records and breast pathology reports of 250 patients who undergone mastectomy due to breast cancer. Demographic data of all patients including age, along with other medical data such as menstruation condition, breast cancer grade, multicentricity status, stage, and expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) receptors were collected from medical records. Samples were divided into four subtypes of Luminal B, Luminal A, HER2 expressing, and basal-like. Results: The mean age of patients was 50.21 ± 11.15 years. Ninety-five patients (38%) had multicentricity and HER2 expressing (48.5%) and Luminal A (41.4%) were most common in patients with multicentricity. In addition, basal-like group presented with least multicentricity (13.5%) among the subtypes (P = 0.008). We also showed significant increased chances of multicentricity in Luminal B (odds ratio [OR] = 3.782) (P = 0.033), Luminal A (OR = 5.164) (P = 0.002), and HER2-expressing group (OR = 5.393) (P = 0.011). Conclusions: Taken together, we showed significantly increased chances of multicentricity in patients with HER2-expression, Luminal A, and Luminal B groups compared to basal-like group or triple negative. These results were in line with most previous studies; however, we showed higher rates of multicentricity among our population compared to some previous reports.

Evaluation of Diagnostic Accuracy of Alpha-Fodrin Antibody in Iranian Patients with Sjogren's Disease.

Background: Sjogren's syndrome, as a chronic autoimmune disease, involves in lymphocytic infiltration in the exocrine glands. As the result of exocrine glands disruption, the clinical hallmark of this disease including dryness of mouth and eyes along with fatigue and joint pain occur. However, heterogeneity of clinical presentations among newly diagnosed adult patients with Sjogren's syndrome leads to difficulty in its diagnosis. One of the diagnostic criteria for Sjogren's syndrome is the presence of autoantibodies in patient serum. One of the novel biomarkers suggested for diagnosis of Sjogren is alpha-fodrin antibody. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic power of anti-α-fodrin antibody among the Iranian population for the first time. Materials and Methods: We recruited 82 individuals in this study. Alpha-fodrin were measured in case and control with Elisa kit as 16.71 (9.84) and 18.44 (11.54). Results: There was no any significant difference between two groups regarding alpha-fodrin level (P = 0.35). Then we applied the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine the predictive value of alpha-fodrin for diagnosing Sjogren's disease. The area under curve of the ROC curve was calculated as 0.5453. Also, there were significant association between age and alpha-fodrin antibody. Conclusions: Alpha-fodrin test did not have acceptable predictive power for predicting Sjogren's disease; however, it could be associated with disease progression.

Preparation and characterization of a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose based wafer for simultaneous delivery of phenytoin and insulin as wound dressing material.

In this study, a novel wafer based on Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) was prepared as a wound dressing for the simultaneous delivery of phenytoin (PT) and insulin; evaluation of the cutaneous wound repair property was performed too. Due to its low water solubility, PT was encapsulated in polymeric micelles (PM) by the film hydration method at different polymer/drug ratios and characterized in terms of particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PdI), zeta potential (ZP), drug loading (DL) %, entrapment efficiency (EE) %, and drug release. Then, the optimized PT loaded PM (PT-PM) was embedded in the wafers prepared from the HPMC polymer, alone or in combination with Carbopol 940 (CB) and xanthan gum (XG). This wafer also contained a fixed amount of insulin (PT-PM-Insulin-wafer). The obtained wafers were evaluated in terms of morphology, water uptake ability, porosity, bioadhesion and hardness features. Finally, the efficacy of the PT-PM-Insulin-wafer was assessed in full-thickness excision wound models. The optimized PT-PM showed the PS of 84.05 ± 1.80 nm, PdI of 0.28 ± 0.22, ZP of -3.38 ± 0.26 mV, DL of 15.63 ± 0.01%, EE of 92.66 ± 0.08%, and the release efficiency of 59.95 ± 0.03%. The results obtained from the XRD studies of PT-PM also demonstrated the transition of the crystalline nature of the PT to the amorphous form, while FTIR studies showed some intermolecular interaction of PT and the Soluplus® copolymer chain. It was also found that the incorporation of XG into HPMC wafers influenced the microstructure, thus increasing the porosity, water uptake ability and bioadhesion. Compared with other groups, the PT-PM-Insulin-wafer group showed the enhancement of wound closure through increasing collagen deposition and re-epithelialization. The present study, therefore, revealed that the PT-PM-Insulin-wafer group might have very promising applications for wound healing.

Antifungal Effects of Iranian Propolis Extract and Royal jelly Against Candida albicans In-Vitro.

BACKGROUND: Candida albicans is the most important opportunistic fungal that can establish infection in susceptible individuals. Iranian Propolis and Royal jelly are bee products that are traditionally used against fungal infections. This study was aimed to evaluate the antifungal effects of Iranian Propolis extract and Royal jelly against C. albicans in vitro. METHODS: Antifungal activities of the extracts were performed according to microbroth dilution method in 96-well microdilution plates. The amount of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) based on counting the number of fungal colonies (CFU) were evaluated for each of Royal jelly and Iranian Propolis extracts against C. albicans compared with the control group. RESULTS: In this study, the MIC, MIC50, and MFC of Royal jelly on C. albicans were, respectively, 80, 103 ± 25, and 160 ± 34 mg/mL and for the Iranian Propolis alcoholic extract were, respectively, 0.030 ± 0.015, 0.0618 ± 0.027, and 0.0833 ± 0.0599 mg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that both Royal jelly and Iranian Propolis alcoholic extract are effective against C. albicans, but the former species has higher antifungal activity. If the clinical trials confirm the results of this study, Iranian propolis, as a new antifungal agent by replacing chemical drugs, can be used to develop antifungal medicinal herbs.

Angiogenesis and Minimal Residual Disease in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most prevalent acute leukemia in adults. Bone marrow angiogenesis is crucial for pathogenesis of leukemia, and increasing bone marrow Mean Vascular Density (MVD) and level of angiogenesis factors are seen in patients with AML. Higher level of bone marrow MVD is associated with poor prognosis of AML according to previous studies. The present study aimed to compare bone marrow MVD in AML patients and controls and evaluate the relation between bone marrow MVD and number of residual blast cells after AML treatment. Materials and Methods: This study is a longitudinal study on AML patients who were admitted to Omid hospital. The bone marrow biopsies of patients with AML and patients with normal diagnosis -as control group- were taken from archives of pathology laboratory. Immunohistochemistry staining was used for all specimens by using thrombomodulin markers for calculating MVD. Flow cytometry findings of AML patients were assessed for percent of minimal residual disease (MRD) after AML treatment in AML patients group. Results: In this study, 27 AML patients and 24 healthy individuals with mean age of 40.92±15.13 years were evaluated, of whom 56.86% were male. The mean bone marrow MVD was significantly higher in AML patients than controls. The mean bone marrow MVD was significantly higher in males and there was insignificant reverse correlation between bone marrow MVD and MRD. About 59.3% of AML patients had response to treatment and there was no significant relationship between MVD and response to treatment. Conclusion: Bone marrow MVD was higher in AML patients than controls and there was no remarkable relationship between bone marrow MVD and MRD and response to treatment.

Prolactin receptor expression as a novel prognostic biomarker for triple negative breast cancer patients.

Prolactin receptor (PRLR) is a novel emerging prognostic biomarker in different cancers, especially in breast cancer. However, there is limited information about the association of PRLR expression and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) prognosis. In this study, 80 TNBC patients were evaluated for PRLR expression by immunohistochemistry. The correlation of PRLR expression with clinicopathological features, patient recurrence, and survival was investigated. PRLR expression was considered positive if >10% of tumor cells were stained. The Fisher's exact test was used to analyze PRLR expression relation with the clinicopathological parameters. Survival distribution was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Positive immunoreactivity for PRLR was observed in 50 out of 80 (62%) specimens. Although expression of PRLR was associated with TNBC patients' stage, no-correlation was observed between its expression and tumor size, grade, lymph node status, and Ki-67 expression. In addition, patients with positive expression of PRLR exhibited lower recurrence (P = 0.0027) and higher overall survival (P = 0.0285) in comparison with negative expression group. In multivariate analyses, positive expression of PRLR was an independent prognostic marker for lower recurrence (P < 0.001) and higher overall survival (P < 0.001). Therefore, PRLR plays a crucial role in TNBC and has to be considered as an independent prognostic biomarker for TNBC patients.

Evaluation of the Protective Effect of Cystone Against Cisplatin-induced Nephrotoxicity in Patients with Cancer: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Cisplatin is a widely used anti-cancer drug that is commonly administered for the treatment of various cancers. However, nephrotoxicity is the most important side effect of this drug which limits its use. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Cystone against nephrotoxicity induced by Cisplatin in patients with cancer. METHODS: This pilot clinical trial study was conducted on 43 cancer patients treated with Cisplatin (75 mg/m2 for a period of six months). The subjects were divided into treatment group (receiving Cystone, two per 8 hours; n = 21) and control group (n = 22). The two groups were compared with each other in terms of demographic and laboratory variables. RESULTS: In the intervention group receiving Cystone, serum creatinine-based GFR level (P = 0.453) and 24-hour urine creatinine-based GFR level (P = 0.397) did not change significantly during the studied period, but in the control group, serum creatinine-based GFR level (P = 0.013) and 24-hour urine creatinine-based GFR level (P = 0.016) significantly changed. Serum creatinine-based GFR level increased by 2.3 units in the intervention group and 10.5 units in the control group (P = 0.005) in the six months of the study. At the end of the sixth month, 24-hour urine creatinine-based GFR level increased by 2.2 units in the intervention group and 0.8 unit in the control group (P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: The use of Cystone resulted in more stable kidney function indices in the intervention group, as compared with the control group. Therefore, Cystone seems to have a protective effect against nephrotoxicity induced by Cisplatin in cancer patients.

Alterations in lipid peroxidation, lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, and hepatic histopathological changes in diabetic rats following the treatment with Salvadora persica.

We examined the effects of various partitions of Salvadora persica extract on lipid profile (LP), lipid peroxidation, and insulin sensitivity (IS) of diabetic rats. The rats were divided into normal control, diabetic control (DC), standard, sham, and test groups. The test groups were treated with an oral dose of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg of crude, aqueous, and ethyl acetate partition of S. persica extract. After 21 days of experiment, the fasting blood glucose (FBS), LPs, lipid peroxidation, IS, liver enzymes levels, liver histopathology, and body weight alteration were evaluated. A significant decrease in FBS and lipid profile (except HDL) were observed in rats treated with various dose of extract compared with the DC rats ( P < 0.05). Treating diabetic rats with various extracts of S. persica meaningfully decreased the level of malondialdehyde ( P < 0.05). Animals treated with various dose of aqueous extract showed better results ( P < 0.01). On the basis of used indirect indexes to determine IS, all partitions of extracts showed anti-insulin resistance effects in diabetic rats. On the basis of our statistical analyzing, treating diabetic rats with all of the three extracts of S. persica decreased the elevated levels of alanine phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine transferase. Also, pathological changes in the liver tissue were reduced following treatment with the S. persica. In conclusion, our results give evidence that the S. persica extract, especially aqueous partition, has a healing effect on diabetes and can be considered as an alternative therapy for this disease.

Molecular aspects of pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction: Oxidative stress, microRNA, and long noncoding RNA.

Metabolic syndrome is known as a frequent precursor of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). This disease could affect 8% of the people worldwide. Given that pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction and loss have central roles in the initiation and progression of the disease, the understanding of cellular and molecular pathways associated with pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction can provide more information about the underlying pathways involved in T2D. Multiple lines evidence indicated that oxidative stress, microRNA, and long noncoding RNA play significant roles in various steps of diseases. Oxidative stress is one of the important factors involved in T2D pathogenesis. This could affect the function and survival of the ß cell via activation or inhibition of several processes and targets, such as receptor-signal transduction, enzyme activity, gene expression, ion channel transport, and apoptosis. Besides oxidative stress, microRNAs and noncoding RNAs have emerged as epigenetic regulators that could affect pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction. These molecules exert their effects via targeting a variety of cellular and molecular pathways involved in T2D pathogenesis. Here, we summarized the molecular aspects of pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction. Moreover, we highlighted the roles of oxidative stress, microRNAs, and noncoding RNAs in pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction.

Ectopic Thyroid in Stomach; a Case Report.

An ectopic thyroid is a form of thyroid dysgenesis in which an entire or parts of the thyroid gland may be located in another part of the body than what is the usual place. The most frequent location is the base of tongue. Although most cases are asymptomatic, symptoms related to tumor size and its relationship with surrounding tissues, hormonal dysfunction and seldom malignancy may also occur. Any disease affecting the thyroid gland may involve the ectopic thyroid, including malignancy.

Development and in vitro/in vivo evaluation of HPMC/chitosan gel containing simvastatin loaded self-assembled nanomicelles as a potent wound healing agent.

The aim of this study was to develop hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC)/chitosan gel containing polymeric micelles loaded with simvastatin (Sim) and evaluates its wound healing properties in rats. An irregular full factorial design was employed to evaluate the effects of various formulation variables including polymer/drug ratio, hydration temperature, hydration time, and organic solvent type on the physicochemical characteristics of pluronic F127-cholesterol nanomicelles prepared using the film hydration method. Among single studied factors, solvent type had the most impact on the amount of drug loading and zeta potential. Particle size and release efficiency was more affected by hydration temperature. The optimized formulation suggested by desirability of 93.5% was prepared using 1 mg of Sim, 10 mg of copolymer, dichloromethane as the organic solvent, hydration time of 45 min and hydration temperature of 25 °C. The release of the drug from nanomicelles was found to be biphasic and showed a rapid release in the first stage followed by a sustained release for 96 h. The gel-contained nanomicelles exhibited pseudo-plastic flow and more sustained drug release profile compared to nanomicelles. In excision wound model on normal rats, the wound closure of the group treated by Sim loaded micelles-gel was superior to other groups. Taken together, Sim loaded micelles-gel may represent a novel topical formulation for wound healing.

Medicinal Plants, Effective Plant Compounds (Compositions) and their Effects on Stomach Cancer.

Medicinal plants have special importance around the world. Further, they have been noticed for nutrition and illness treatment such as preparation of anticancer new drugs. Therefore, a wide range of studies have been done on different plants, and their anticancer effects have been investigated. Nowadays, cancer is the most important factor of death rate in the developed and developing countries. Among them, stomach cancer is one of the most common malignancies around the world. At present, it is recognized as the fourth common cancer and the second factor of death rate due to cancer. So far, there has been wide range of effort for cancer treatment; however, in most cases, the response to the treatment has been very weak and often accompanied improper subsidiary effects. The present problems as a consequence of chemical treatment and radiotherapy and many subsidiary problems created due to their use for patients, and also, the resistance to the current treatment has motivated researchers to apply new medicines with more effect and less toxicity. The secondary metabolisms existent in the plants have an important role in the treatment of several diseases such as cancer. This study was conducted to investigate and collect scientific results for stomach cancer and to clarify the role of medicinal plants and secondary plant compounds on its treatment.

Polymorphism (rs16917496) at the miR-502 Binding Site of the Lysine Methyltransferase 5A (SET8) and Its Correlation with Colorectal Cancer in Iranians.

BACKGROUND: One of the gene expression regulatory mechanisms is mediated by small noncoding RNAs called microRNA (miRNA). They interact with a recognition sequence located mostly in 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTRs) of mRNAs. Polymorphisms in miRNAs recognition sequences could affect gene expression which in turn may alter disease susceptibility. SET8, a member of the SET domain-containing methyltransferase, acts in a variety of biological processes such as genomic stability. Here, we report correlation of rs16917496 polymorphism, located in the recognition sequence of miR-502 within 3'-UTR of SET8, with colorectal cancer (CRC) in Iranians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seventy CRC patients and 170 noncancer counterparts were recruited in this case-control study. Genotyping of rs16917496 was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. RESULTS: There was no significant association of rs16917496 with CRC in population under study (P value for genotype and allele distribution were >0.05). However, stratification analysis based on smoking status revealed that TT+TC genotypes of SET8 rs16917496 are strongly associated with increased risk of CRC (odds ratio: 5.8, 95% confidence interval: 1.37-24.34, P - 0.005) in smoker subgroup. CONCLUSION: Correlation of rs16917496 T allele with CRC in smokers is emphasizing the importance of individuals' genotype in the recruitment of adverse health hazards of smoking more profoundly for certain people compared to others.

Level of inflammatory factors in chronic hemodialysis patients with and without cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Considering the existence of controversies about the predictive value of inflammatory markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD), we aimed to compare the level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interlukin-6 (IL-6) level in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients with and without CVD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this historical cohort study, HD patients with and without CVD disease were enrolled. The presence of CVD risk factors, level of inflammatory factors including IL-6 and hs-CRP as well as lipid levels, fasting blood sugar, and other biochemical factors were compared in two studied groups. RESULTS: During the study, eighty HD patients with (n = 40) and without (n = 40) CVD were enrolled. Diabetes was more prevalent among HD patients with CVD than those without CVD (P < 0.05). The level of IL-6 and hs-CRP were not different in two studied groups (P > 0.05). Univariate analysis of variance test indicated that there was not any significant relationship between hs-CRP and CVD (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that the level of inflammatory factors including hs-CRP and IL-6 are not significantly different in HD patients with and without CVD. However, for obtaining more definite conclusion in this field and evaluation their predicting role in this field, it is recommended to study other novel inflammatory markers as well as the additive effect of the inflammatory factors with traditional ones in larger sample size and longer follow-up.

Preparation and evaluation of a hair wax containing propolis and Eruca sativa seed oil for hair growth.

BACKGROUND: Hair growth as a key consumer objective has important role in the hair care products researches. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of a hair wax containing propolis, a resinous mixture produced by honeybees in Eruca sativa seed oil base on hair growth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hair wax was designed and formulated compared with marketed brand hair wax and evaluated for pharmaceutical parameters including pH, homogeneity, consistency, spread ability, in vitro drug release, and stability. After selection of the best formulation containing 10% ethanolic extract of propolis and 10% E. sativa seed oil, the hair growth potential was evaluated by application of 1 g hair wax daily on 4 cm2 area of dorsal side of Wistar rats and compared with controls and standard medication (1 ml of 2% minoxidil). After 30 days treatment, the length and weight of hairs and percentage of hair follicles in different phases of growth in skin biopsies were assessed. RESULTS: The selected hair wax formulation was stable and easy to wash. The formulation significantly increased hair length on 10th, 20th, and 30th day compared control group (5.8 ± 0.3 vs. 2.6 ± 0.4, 11.4 ± 0.6 vs. 5.8 ± 0.4, and 17.5 ± 0.5 vs. 12.7 ± 0.4 mm, respectively) and also the weight of newly grown hairs on 30th day (0.056 ± 0.006 vs. 0.043 ± 0.005). It improved hair follicles percentages in anagen phase without any sensitivity reaction. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the formulated hair wax containing of propolis and E. sativa seed oil could have significant effect on promoting hair growth.

Role of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Factors in Diabetic Kidney Disease.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus, and its prevalence has been increasing in developed countries. Diabetic nephropathy has become the most common single cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Oxidative stress and inflammation factors are hypothesized to play a role in the development of late diabetes complications. Chronic hyperglycemia increases oxidative stress, significantly modifies the structure and function of proteins and lipids, and induces glycoxidation and peroxidation. Therefore, hyperglycemia causes auto-oxidation of glucose, glycation of proteins, and activation of polyol mechanism. Overproduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species contributes to several microvascular and macrovascular complications of DN. On the other hand, reactive oxygen species modulates signaling cascade of immune factors. An increase in reactive oxygen species can increase the production of inflammatory cytokines, and likewise, an increase in inflammatory cytokines can stimulate the production of free radicals. Some studies have shown that kidney inflammation is serious in promoting the development and progression of DN. Inflammatory factors which are activated by the metabolic, biochemical, and hemodynamic derangements are known to exist in the diabetic kidney. This review discusses facts for oxidative stress and inflammatory factors in DN and encompasses the role of immune and inflammatory cells, inflammatory cytokines, and stress oxidative factors.

Alteration of GLIS3 gene expression pattern in patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The GLIS family members are zinc fingers with transcriptional repression and activation function. GLIS3 is one of these family members, which aberrant expression of it revealed to be related to several different cancer types. Regarding to the role of GLIS3 in tumor genesis and its probable connection with ß-catenin signaling pathway, one of the pathways that involves in both normal development and tumor genesis of breast tissue, the aim of this study is investigating the alteration of GLIS3 mRNA expression level in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Real-time polymerase chain reaction performed with GLIS3 and GAPDH genes primer on the RNA which extracted from 15 fresh frozen breast tumor tissue samples and also 15 normal samples with slight distance from site of tumor. RESULTS: The relative expression of GLIS3 in breast cancer tissues revealed a 4 times increase comparing normal breast tissues; with a significant difference between cancer and normal samples (P = 0.027) and in patients without lymph node involvement and tissues that had estrogen receptor (ER(-)) and progesterone receptor (PR(-)) statuses. We see no significant difference between cancer and normal tissues based on lobular or ductal origin of the tumor as well as the tumor grade. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested a probable relationship between GLIS3 overexpression and breast cancer. Furthermore, detection of a probable association between GLIS3 overexpression and triple-negative breast cancer (ER(-)/PR(-)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(-)) might be useful for prognostic and diagnostic uses or as a probable target for treatment of these patients.

Validity of immunohistochemistry method in predicting HER-2 gene status and association of clinicopathological variables with it in invasive breast cancer patients.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 is an important and prognostic factors and one of the most targeted proteins in breast cancer's therapy. There is no globally accepted method for determining its status. Here, we aimed to evaluate the immunohistochemistry method validity in predicting HER-2 status by Fluorescence in situ hybridization method and investigate some clinicopathological variables association with HER-2 amplification. A total of 190 HER-2 2+ and 3+ by immunohistochemistry (IHC) invasive breast cancer cases were enrolled in this study. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed for these cases using FDA criteria and the association between clinicopathological variables and HER-2 status evaluated. Study consisted of 190 invasive breast cancer patients (160 HER-2 2+ and 30 HER-2 3+). HER-2 FISH amplification according to FDA criteria was found 27.5% (44/160 patients) in HER-2 2+ patients and 83.3% (25/30 patients) in HER-2 3+ patients. Tumors with HER-2 amplification were more likely to be ER-negative (51.0% vs 31.2%, p = 0.013) and PR-negative (52.9% vs 27.0%, p < 0.001). This study showed that immunohistochemistry is not a good method for evaluating HER-2 status and decision-making about trastuzumab therapy even with 3+ score patients. However, this result may not be too strong for IHC 3+ cases due to the limited number of these patients in this study.

Evaluation of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Polymorphism Frequencies in Endometriosis.

BACKGROUND: The pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), is a pathogenic element for a number of disorders. Previous studies have reported that the -1031 T/C and -238 G/A polymorphisms in the promoter region of the TNF-α gene are important factors in reproductive-related disorders. One of the most common gynecological diseases of women during the reproductive years is endometriosis. This study aims to assess an association between the -1031 T/C, -238 G/A and -308 G/A polymorphisms of the TNF-α gene promoter region to endometriosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, we enrolled 65 endometriosis patients and 65 matched healthy control women by simple sampling. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis was used to analyze -1031 T/C, -238 G/A and -308 G/A polymorphisms in the TNF-α gene promoter region. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: We found a strong association between the -1031 T/C polymorphism in the promoter region of the TNF-α gene with endometriosis (P=0.001). There were no significant associations between the -238 G/A (P=0.243) and -308 G/A (P=1) polymorphisms with endometriosis and again endometriosis stages have no association with these polymorphisms. CONCLUSION: The -1031 T/C polymorphism and CC genotype can be used as a relevant marker to identify women at risk of developing endometriosis.