Forensic necroptic epidemiology -- a useful method for the evaluation of renal, cardiac and cerebral lesions. Can it represent an addition to the information provided by clinical studies?

Our paper reviews the value of necroptic epidemiology in the evaluation of renal, cardiac and cerebral lesions. The necroptic epidemiology studies performed on American war casualties from Korea and Vietnam had practical implications in the prophylaxis of atherosclerosis in young age groups. The special interest they initially raised has been diminished by the advance of clinical studies that are nowadays dominant in the field of epidemiology. Given the fact that for the evaluation of certain diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, the morphological criterion is useful for the diagnostic, necroptic epidemiology can complete the epidemiological data provided by clinical studies. The use of data offered by forensic necroptic epidemiology can represent a reliable method for evaluating the epidemiology of certain diseases and of their complications.

The expression of p53 protein in salivary gland carcinomas.

The p53 suppressor gene is the most frequently altered gene in solid human malignancies. It is located on the short arm of chromosome 17 in the region 17p13 and encodes a 53kD nuclear phosphoprotein containing 393 amino acids with specific DNA binding properties and a short life span. The wild p53 protein has been classified as a tumoral suppression gene with a determining role in controlling cellular proliferation and differentiation and can be inactivated through mutation in the protein sequence encoding the gene, leading to neoplastic transformation. In this study we analyzed the expression of p53 protein in a variety of salivary gland malignant tumors fixed in formalin and included in paraffin, using the method of immunohistochemical coloring with the anti-p53 DO-7 antibody. The evaluation of the immunoreactivity with p53 proved a significantly more intense coloring in salivary gland high-grade malignant tumors and the observed immunomarking of over 50% of the tumoral cells is correlated with the weak differentiation of the tumors, giving a predictive factor for the evolution of the disease.

Carcinoid tumor with uterine location. Case report.

A carcinoid is defined as a tumor arising from endocrine cells with neurosecretory characteristics belonging to the APUD system. These cells are most frequently observed in the digestive tract and lungs. Uterine location is rare. This paper presents the case of a 21-year old patient with uterine carcinoid tumor. In order to establish the histopathologic diagnosis of the carcinoid tumor, we used optical microscopy examination in haematoxylin-eosin, argentic impregnation in Fontana-Masson staining and an immunohistochemical reaction using monoclonal antibody to the S100 protein. Due to the intracytoplasmatic granulations shown in Fontana-Masson staining and in the immunohistochemical reaction to S100 protein which confirm the neurosecretory character of the tumoral cells, we included this tumor in the group of tumors with neuroendocrine differentiation.

Expression and significance of tumoral suppressor p53 gene in lung adenocarcinomas.

The mutations of p53 tumoral suppressor gene are the most frequent genetic modifications identified till now in lung cancer, suggesting that these alterations represent critical stages in malignant cellular transformation of respiration ways. Conformational changes induced by these mutations are associated with stabilisation of the product of p53 gene and the accumulation of the mutant protein in malignant cells' nuclei, in quantities that can be immunohistochemically detected: immunohistochemistry can be used as an indirect indicator of the genome alteration. Eight cases of lung adenocarcinoma were immunohistochemically analysed (formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens), in order to find the p53 suppressor expression. The overexpression of p53 protein was detected using an antigenous system and Monoclonal Mouse Anti-Human p53 protein, and it was detected in 5 (62.5%) of the 8 examined adenocarcinomas. In the examined cases, p53 overexpression was limited only to neoplastic cells, the nuclear staining being considered specific. p53 high level was correlated to: histological differentiation degree, smoking, the stage of the tumor and to the survival rate of the patients. The association of smoking with p53 overexpression suggests that p53 gene is a target of specific mutagenes in smokers.

Significance of the expression of hormone receptors and of p53 protein in breast carcinomas.

A certain proportion of breast cancers contain hormone receptors--specific proteins with high affinity and capacity of selective tie of these hormones. There were selected 30 patients presenting breast cancer, treated at the surgical departments from the County Hospital of Timisoara between 1993 and 1995. The identification of hormone receptors was done on 10% formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue specimens. As anti-hormone receptors, monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were used. The immunohistochemical identification of positive to hormone receptors cancer cells was obtained, by nucleus staining. Immunohistochemical assay of the accumulation of p53 protein seems to be an efficient means of selecting breast neoplasms. p53 immunostaining is positive at the level of malignant cells' nuclei and negative for normal cells. From the 30 breast carcinomas, 19 (63.3%) were ER+ and 15 (49.9%) were PR+, resulting an increase of the frequency of ER+ tumors together with the age of the patients; 9 cases (30%) expressed p53 protein, harmonizing with the data in the literature.

[The Finnish-type congenital nephrotic syndrome. Comments on 2 cases]. / Sindromul nefrotic congenital tip finlandez. Consideratii pe margineaa doua cazuri.

The authors described the clinical, biologic and histologic particularities of two cases of congenital nephrotic syndrome, Finnish type. Clinically, the hydropic syndrome was represented by anasarca: biologically by marked proteinuria, hypoproteinemia with dysproteinemia and hyperlipemia with dyslipemia. Histologically both cases presented microcystic dilatation of the proximal tubuli contorti. The evolution was unfavorable and ended in death.